With Arms Wide Open Book 2 Teen
by MacKenzie Creations
Summary: This is the Teen rating for With Arms Wide Open Book 2. The only thing that this version is missing is the graphic sex scenes, the harsher curse words, and in one chapter the graphic torture scenes. Focus on B/A, but has the whole gang.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimers: Nope I don't own any characters that you have seen on TV. I'm just playing with them. Joss is their creator. **_

_**WARNINGS: None for this chapter, but later on there will be a huge warning. Someone close to Buffy will die during this season. I will give a catch up on the chapter after this happens in case you don't want to read this chapter. I know that sometimes, a person might have recently lost someone close to them and couldn't bear to read about a beloved character going through what they themselves are going through. Also later one of the characters from the show will be raped. This rape will not be graphic. Again, I know that sometimes a person may in a part of their life to where they cannot read something like that, so I will do a recap or catch up on the chapter following it so you will know what happened with out having to read the chapter. There are no NC-17 scenes written yet. However there are a few places where I will want an NC-17 scene. If you would like to guest write an NC-17 scene, please email me at LadyMacKenzie(at)gmail(dot)com and I will let you preview the chapter that I need the NC-17 scene from and we can see what you come up with.  
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_**A/N: When I started to post With Arms Wide Open Book 1, I had all of that book written. This book is still being written. I'm having to come up with some more chapters, but despite that, I hope to have this book posted much quicker than Book 1. Because of that, I will be posting only here until I have all of it posted, then I will convert to HTML to post on my website, unless I get the time to update on the website, sooner. I will let you know if that happens.**_

_**Thanks to the BETA TEAM: SerenityAngel44, Michebabyblue, CarlyJx, Ekimmuh, Pheonix Evans, and Tanya**__**. The whole beta team contributed and had some ideas that I kept. I could not have done this chapter with out you, ladies!**_

_**Translations: **_

_**www(dot)englishirishdictionary(dot)com**_

_****__Muirnín = Sweetheart  
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_**Mo Chroí = my heart  
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_****__Tá mé chomh doirte sin duit = I love you_

**_Grá mo chroí = Love of my heart_**

_**Ionúin = beloved**_

_****__Summary and Catch Up/Recap: Last Book: Angel did not loose his soul when he and Buffy made love in Season 2. Buffy and Angel grew closer, Joyce walked in on Buffy and Angel making love and then Hank and Joyce gave their permission for Buffy and Angel to legally marry after being saved from vampires by Buffy and Angel. Joyce and Hank learned about the Slayer and the short life span of a Slayer and felt that Angel could prolong their daughter's life. When they legally married, they also went through the Bonding Ceremony which bound them together as a vampire and his Mate. This also split the demon and the soul. Angelus can and is in charge of the body during certain times. We learned that there was a vampire who wanted to be just like Angelus (his name was Devlin) and he was the one who came to town and was the big bad. Devlin was Angel's best human friend and continued to be his best friend until Angel regained his soul. Devlin killed Miss Calendar. Although it was not said in the story, the reason was because she was working on the re-souling spell for him -- to repay Angel for all the good he has done, she was trying to give him his best friend back. Yes, Dru still killed Kendra, police thought that Buffy did it, and Giles and the other scoobies had to convince the police that Buffy had nothing to do with it. Buffy and Angel closed Acathla after killing Devlin. Angel is still morning his best friend's final death. Just in case you want to read the wedding and the bonding ceremony, that's chapter 9 of Book 1. Angelus' thoughts are underlined.  
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With Arms Wide Open: Book 2

Chapter 1

After passing all of her classes, Angel and Buffy planned on spending a few weeks with her father in L.A. One night they had been out fighting a really tough demon. When Angel carried her into Hank's house, there was a raven-haired lady in the living room with Hank. When Angel came into the house without knocking, the lady said, "Hank, you didn't tell me that you have a roommate."

"I'll explain in a minute, Grace." He turned to Angel, who held his daughter's limp body in his arms, "What happened?"

"I'll explain in minute, Hank," Right now, just get me a first aid kit,"Angel said not thinking how rude he was being. His only goal was to get his wife though this.

"Angel," Buffy moaned, slipping in an out of consciousness.

"_It's alright, Muirnín. You're safe,"_ Angel tried to comfort his love through their telepathic bond, but he was having trouble keeping a tight reign on Angelus.

"The bleeding's bad, you should have taken her to ER." Hank's friend said. Any other person would be shocked by the sight, but she seemed like she was used to the scene.

"No! It looks worse than it is," Angel hurriedly spoke, before Buffy could go into hysterics about going to a hospital.

"Let me help you. I'm a nurse in the ER," Grace said as she grabbed the first aid kit from Hank and followed Angel to his and Buffy's bedroom.

When Angel laid Buffy down on the bed, Grace said, "Oh my goodness! What happened?"

Angel laid Buffy carefully onto the bed, giving Grace a better look at her wounds.

"It looks like she's lost a lot of blood, she might need a transfusion" Grace adjusted the pillows, making sure Buffy was as comfortable as she should be, before ordering Hank to put pressure on her open wounds. Angel passed a first aid kit to the stranger, not knowing why he would put his life in her hands, but something about her seemed trustworthy.

Grace got to work on Buffy, not asking a single question. As a nurse in ER, she had seen some horrible things, and had learned long ago that curiosity indeed killed the cat.

Yes, working in ER, she had seen a lot, but none of them could prepare her for this. One of Buffy's wounds that she was about to dress had completely healed, like something hadn't even touched her skin.

One thing Grace was curious about was the five slashes across her stomach. It had seemed like most of the blood loss had come from those cuts, but they were nearly closed by now.

After Angel and Grace had bandaged up the gashes on Buffy, Buffy opened her eyes and groggily said, "Dad?"

"Dad? Hank, you didn't tell me you had a daughter," Grace said.

"Who is that?" Buffy weakly asked and then passed out again.

"Buffy?" Angel called out.

_Stop! Listen! Her heart rate and breathing are normal for when her slayer healing is going into overdrive. She just passed out, _Angelus was saying inside of Angel's head.

"Grace, I'll explain in a minute," Hank said eying Angel.

Angel sighed, "She passed out again."

"Now, Angel, will you please tell me what happened?"

Angel turned to Grace and asked, "Can you watch over her for a few minutes?"

"Sure," Grace said confused.

Angel left the room with Hank close behind. Angel grabbed the phone.

"Angel, what happened?" Hank asked as Angel was dialing a number.

"You can listen in while I talk to Giles, Hank," Angel said as he listened for Giles to pick up his phone.

"_Hello?" Giles's British accent seemed stronger over the phone._

"_Giles"_

"_Angel? Is that you? How's L.A?"_

"_Uh.. Its great" He paused, while Buffy glared at him, this wasn't a social call. "Listen, we need some research done" He continued. "Buffy and I ran into a majick using demon. He wounded Buffy pretty bad, she's alright now though" He added quickly, knowing that Giles would be concerned about his slayers safety._

"_What kind of spell did it use?"_

"_That's the thing, I have no idea. Whatever it was, it was strong. Buffy's wound looked as if someone had clawed her across her abdomen"_

"_Oh my. What kind of weapon did he use?"_

_Angel could hear pages being turned, and knew that Giles was already in research mode._

"_That's what I'm telling you, it was a spell. He didn't touch Buffy"_

"_I see. Is there anything more you can tell me?"_

"_She could have died, Giles. If it wasn't for her Slayer Healing, she probably would have" Angel sighed. _

"Where are you now?"

"We're at Hank's. She passed out. She's lost a lot of blood," said Angel worriedly.

Giles heard Angel's worry and asked, "Do you think she'll recover?"

"Yes, she'll be fine in the morning, I'm sure. I just don't know what kind of demon we're facing," Angel sighed.

"Well what did it look like?"

"It looked like a human, but was grayish and had no mouth. We couldn't get close enough to tell anything else. Buffy said that her Slayer Senses were going off and this thing didn't smell human to me," Angel said anxiously barely controlling Angelus.

_Come on, Soulboy! Let's go back out there and torture the damn thing!!! I won't stand by and let my Mate be hurt like that!_

"Okay, Willow, and I, will have a look now. I'll call you when we find something" Giles paused. "Oh, and Angel? Look after her."

"Just tell me how to kill it."

_Gonna torture it first! Did you see how bad she was hurt? That deserves some torture!_

"As soon as I find out how, I'll let you know," Giles said.

"Thanks," Angel said as he hung up the phone.

"What did Giles say?" Hank asked.

"He and Willow are going to get onto it."

Angel went back to his and Buffy's room to watch over her. Buffy was asleep but Grace was examining her neck.

"You guys may think I'm crazy, but working in the ER, I've seen some really weird stuff. I've heard about things that you would never believe existed. I believe that this girl needs help." Grace took a deep breath before continuing, "She may be addicted to vampire bites." Angel and Hank just stared at her. Grace looked very concerned.

Hank thought that his date was crazy. Sure there really were vampires. He knew that. _My daughter, The Slayer, addicted to vampire bites? She's only been bitten once and that was at the Bonding Ceremony._

Angelus started laughing inside Angel's head at the absurdity of the suggestion while Angel looked at the unknown woman before him and asked, "What makes you say that?" Angel and Angelus knew that they fed from Buffy every night, but that was just between them. No one else needed to know what they did when they made love.

"You see this scar on her right shoulder? It was caused by a vampire bite. And it's been opened numerous times. Indicating that she might be addicted."

"This is ridiculous, there is no way my daughter is addicted to vampire bites!" Hank said.

"Why because vampires don't exist?!" Grace shot back.

"No, because she's The Slayer!" Hank informed her. "She kills vampires."

"How do you know about vampires?" Angel asked.

"It doesn't matter, getting her help, before a vampire gets carried away and kills her does," Grace said.

"Have you ever seen someone who is addicted to vampire bites with just one scar?" Angel asked.

"No, this is the first."

"Indicating it was the same vampire that reopened the scar."

_That's it, Soulboy! Let Daddy in our sex life!_ Angelus laughed.

"Excuse me?" Hank asked looking at his son-in-law.

Angel ignored Hank and Grace asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Because vampires will not feed from another vampire's scar. And if someone is Marked, they will not feed from that person. Only the one who Marked her has fed from her," Angel explained.

"Angel …."

"Later, Hank."

"How do you know that? Why wouldn't they feed from a scar that's already there? She might have asked the vampires not to scar her up and to use the scar."

"No, it doesn't work that way. It's against Vampire Law."

Both Grace, and Hank looked at Angel with raised eyebrows. Both thinking the same thing:_ How could soulless monsters have any law._

"With a mark like Buffy's, no vampire would be stupid enough to even think about it. But if they were, then they were condemned to a life of torture before being killed by the vampire that marked her. That's if she doesn't kill them first."

_Damn Straight! I can keep a vampire alive for many years torturing them before getting bored with them and staking __them. And the first order of torture would be to defang the bastard!_

"I told you she's addicted, she wouldn't kill them."

"Yes, she would!" Hank explained.

"Listen, lady, you don't know us. You don't know her. It is her duty to kill vampires and other demons. And she won't let anything get in the way of her duty," Angelus said harshly as Angel finally lost control over the demon. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look after my wife."

_Wife? Since when do you call Buffy your wife? You always call her your Mate. _

_Yeah well, I don't know this woman and I'm not going to tip her off to the fact that I'm a vampire right now. She just really pissed me off. Our Buff being addicted to vamp bites? The first vamp that tried to bite her like she's suggesting would be tortured for years before I finally staked him._

"Just get her help before it's too late," Grace pleaded.

_Just let me handle this before you screw it up!_Angel took control again and sighed. He didn't see any other way of getting the woman to leave them alone. "For a person to be addicted to vampire bites, they go searching for _any_ vampire to bite them. Just trust me when I say that is not the case here."

"How do you know so much about this? Where did you get your information?"

_Oh just let me shut her up!_

Ignoring Angelus' taunting Angel tried to explain, "I know the Vampire Laws and customs. Some vampires are group oriented and some are loners. But even the loners would never break the Law of the Mark. Even the most ruthless vampire would never break that law."

_Speak for yourself, Soulboy! I seem to remember a certain vamp that was marked that begged for it and, boy, was it worth it._

"How do you know? How can you be so certain?"

"How do you know about vampires?" Angel countered.

"My brother was turned and almost turned me. But I was saved by a group of people with crossbows. After my brother turned to dust before my eyes, one of the guys in the group explained it to me." Angel sighed. Gunn and his gang had saved yet another person. "Now every time one of the group needs medical attention because of vampires, they come to me. Now it's your turn. How do you know so much? And how do you know that your source is reliable?"

"Let's just say I know a lot of vampires. I know their ways."

"And you fight them too?"

"Yes."

_Not by choice, but I get Slayer blood and sex for it, _Angel rolled his eyes at Angelus' comments.

"Angel …" Buffy moaned as she came to again.

"I'm here, Muirnín," Angel went to Buffy's side and held her hand.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"We're at your dad's," Angel said lovingly.

"What's going on?"

"Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning, Mo Chroí." Angel said as he kissed her on the forehead and added, _"__Tá mé chomh doirte sin duit."_

"_Love you, too," _Buffy smiled and replied through their telepathic bond.

"_Mine!"_

"_Mine,"_ Buffy responded to Angelus' way of saying "I love you".

"If you're going to talk, then you will leave this room. She needs to sleep," Angel said as Hank and Grace left the room. Angel got undressed and climbed into bed and laid beside Buffy.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Grace asked Hank.

"Who? Angel? Oh, he stayed with Buffy. You're not going to get him away from her," Hank said.

"She's your daughter?"

"Yeah. That's Buffy, my daughter," Hank said nervously.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a sixteen year old daughter?"

"Because the subject of children never came up." Hank said and then added, "And she's seventeen."

"Oh. Well a _seventeen_-year-old daughter. Why haven't I met her before?"

"Because she and her mother moved to Sunnydale after the divorce. That's where she and Angel live. They just came down for a few days, since it's summer vacation."

"And you let him stay in the same room?"

"They're married," Hank said as if everyone knew this fact.

"_MARRIED?!" _

Angelus came out of the room, with only a pair of black sleep shorts on and angrily demanded with a slight growl, "Will you keep it down? She needs to sleep and she can't with you yelling!"

"Just what is going on, here? There is a seventeen-year-old girl in there wounded, pretty badly, I might add. And she has been bitten by vampires multiple times, and now her _father_says that she is _married?!" _Grace asked dazed.

"Yes, Buffy and Angel are married. Angel has saved her life several times. And with her being The Slayer, she could be killed at any time. Her mother and I wanted her to be happy and Angel makes her happy. Not to mention that her grades have come up since they've been married," Hank defended himselfand his daughter.

* * *

Angel sighed and walked back into the room where Buffy was trying to sleep. "Who is that?" Buffy asked groggily.

"A friend of your father's. I heard him call her Grace, but we haven't been formally introduced," Angel said.

"Oh," Buffy said as she slipped back into slumber.

* * *

"If you know that her being The Slayer is that dangerous, why do you let her do it?"

"We didn't choose it, it choose her. If I had my way, she wouldn't even be out in the dark, never mind risking her life."

"Oh right. A teenager saving the world," Grace said unbelievingly.

Hank sighed, "Grace, let's not talk about this right now, okay? Just trust me, Joyce and I have done what we thought was best for Buffy." He pulled Grace into his arms and began to kiss her.

* * *

The next morning when Grace walked into the kitchen, she saw Buffy making breakfast. "Oh you're up. I figured you would still be asleep," Grace said nicely.

Buffy turned around and said, "Who are you and what are you doing in my dad's house?"

"I'm sorry. I forgot we haven't been introduced. I'm Grace. Your dad and I have been seeing each other for three months now."

"My dad has a girlfriend and he didn't tell me?" Buffy asked confused as to why her father wouldn't tell her about his new girlfriend.

"Don't feel bad, he didn't tell me about you either."

Buffy looked crushed, "He didn't tell you about me?"

Grace not noticing how this upset Buffy, continued, "Not one word about having a kid." She chuckled, not understanding why he would leave such a big thing like that out.

Buffy looked as if she was about to cry, then she got mad, looked at Grace, and asked nicely, "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure."

Buffy handed Grace a plate with half of the bacon, eggs and toast on it. Then she cut off the stove and marched back to her father's bedroom and opened the door without knocking and said, "You have a girlfriend that you didn't tell me about?! And what's worse, I mean so little to you that you didn't tell her about me? You didn't even mention that you had a daughter?!"

Hank sat up with the sheets covering the lower half of his body and sleepily said, "Good morning to you too, dear. Rough night?"

"Rough night?! My night has nothing to do with this! I'm cooking us some breakfast and your girlfriend, who I didn't know anything about, walks in the kitchen, dressed in one of your shirts…"

"And you're dressed in Angel's shirt," Hank shot back as he interrupted her.

"This isn't about Angel and me! This is about you. I mean so little to you … that you didn't even tell her about me. Fine! Fix your own damn breakfast. I gave yours to Grace!" She slammed his door and went into her own room slamming her door as well.

Angel sat up in the bed, looked at his wife, and saw the hurt in her face. "Buffy…"

"Angel, I mean _nothing_ to him," she said as the flood of tears fell from her eyes. Angel crossed the room with vampiric speed and embraced his Mate.

"I'm sure that's not it, Grá mo chroí."

_Like hell it isn't. Why do you lie to her?_

_I'm not lying to her! People make mistakes! That's all that happened here. He made a mistake._

"Why else would he not tell her about me. I mean him not telling me about her, I can understand. I mean he wouldn't know how I would react. But to not tell _her_ about me. He doesn't care about me," Buffy sobbed.

_Yeah, Soulboy! Why else would he try to keep her a secret?_

"Buffy, give him a chance to explain," Angel tried to comfort her. "I'm sure that's not it."

"Angel, I want to leave tonight."

_Fine by me. Daddy's cramping my style anyway. I can't make her scream as loud as I want to with him in the next room._

"We can't. We have to kill that demon."

"We can go stay somewhere else."

"If that's what you really want,Ionúin," Angel agreed to her request.

"So, how do we kill it?" Buffy asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I don't know. I called Giles last night after I bandaged you up, and he's doing the research now."

"Right. Research mode, huh? Well anywhere around here to research?"

"Nope. All of our books are at the mansion back in Sunnydale."

"Well, I guess I could go ahead and pack our stuff," Buffy said as she moved to start unpacking their clothes from the dresser that was in the room.

Angel stopped her and brought her back into his embrace, "Please, Muirnín. Stop. Just think about this first. Go, eat some breakfast, and talk to your father. Maybe there's a good explanation as to why he didn't tell her about you." Buffy looked doubtful. "Please, for me? If you want to leave and go stay at a hotel, we can do that. We own two or three here in L.A. But I don't want you to leave here with things like this between your father and you. Trust me; it's not a good idea."

_Oh yeah right, Soulboy! Give the asshole the chance to hurt her more!_

Buffy knew that Angel regretted leaving his father's house the night he was turned. Not necessarily because he was turned, but because of the fight that he and his father had. She looked into her Mate's eyes and said, "Okay. I'll talk to him, but only because it means so much to you."

"That's all that I ask; that you talk to him," Angel smiled.

Buffy and Angel got dressed and went into the kitchen. Grace was washing some dishes when Buffy and Angel walked into the kitchen. "Are you alright, Buffy? I didn't mean to upset you."

Buffy smiled, "Grace, it wasn't you. My dad should've told you about me."

"Well, in his defense, we never really brought up the subject of kids before. There's a lot of things that weren't brought up until last night."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry if I ruined anything for you."

"No, no. You didn't. It was just a shock. That's all."

"Oh. Sorry, I don't remember much about last night."

"No, I suppose you don't. I want to check your injuries before I leave. I work in the ER. I just want to make sure that they aren't getting infected."

"Oh, umm…. I'm sure that they looked worse than they were last night. I'm fine really," Buffy stuttered.

Angel smiled as he poured himself some hot Earl Grey Breakfast tea. He knew that his wife was all right. He didn't go to sleep until he saw that Buffy's injuries had healed completely.

_I don't know why you're drinking that stuff, her blood's been replenished. We could just go back into the bedroom for a quickie,_Angel ignored Angelus' snide remark. He had no plans of drinking from Buffy right then. While her wounds were completely healed, he wanted to make sure that her blood was replenished before drinking from her.

"I'd just like to look at them," Grace continued her and Buffy's conversation. "I'm just concerned is all. I don't want them to get infected."

"They won't," Buffy said as she started to eat.

Hank came into the kitchen. He had showered, shaved, and gotten dressed. "Buffy…"

"Not now, Hank," Angelus warned. He was not going to let Hank hurt his Mate anymore than he already had. She needed to calm down before they talked.

Hank ignored his son-in-law, "I know. I've messed up, but please know that I'm sorry."

"_HANK!_ I said _not_ now!" Angelus shouted.

Grace could've sworn that Angel growled, but thought it was her imagination. However, Buffy and Hank both knew that Angel did growl and Buffy looked up at her husband and silently begged him to calm down and Angel took control. "You have hurt her enough for right now. Talk to her about it later. Not now," Angel continued more calmly.

Hank looked over at Angel and knew that it was in his best interest to do as his son-in-law said. While Angel face still looked human, the look in his eyes told Hank that Angel would not hesitate to protect Buffy from any more harm from anyone, including her father.

Hank didn't know that he was witnessing Angel struggling and failing to get back in control of the demon.

Buffy ate her breakfast, which had gotten cold, while Angel sipped on his tea. Buffy had just finished her breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Hank went to answer the door.

"Rupert, Willow, how good to see you. Come in, please," Hank said.

When Buffy saw her best friend, she got up and embraced her, "Will!!! What are you doing here?"

"Well, Giles called and said that you needed help. So here I am."

"Your parents let you come to L.A.?"

"I told them that I was coming to see you at your dad's. That wasn't a lie."

"And they let you come?"

"Yeah, well, I told them that it was a best friend emergency. And I also told them that I was taking the bus – figured that they would ask too many questions if they knew that Giles was bringing me. I also told them that you and Angel would drive me back. And then they let me come. They trust Angel for some reason."

Buffy and Willow chuckled. As Angel came out of the kitchen and shook Giles' hand, "Rupert. I was expecting a phone call, but I'm glad that you came."

"Yes, well I also stopped by Willy's and brought you this," Giles said as he handed Angel something. From where Grace sat, it looked to be a wine bottle.

Angel smiled and said, "Thanks, Rupert."

"Yes, well, I thought that you might need it ...," Giles trailed off. He had seen the woman in the kitchen, but didn't know how much she knew about things, so he didn't say anything else.

Angelus caught the scent, _A positive, just what Buff is. Too bad it's in a bottle though. And I know that it's not Slayer blood, but it's better than animal blood or worse, nothing at all. You were gonna let me starve!_

When Hank made no move to introduce the visitors, Buffy said, "Giles, Willow, this Grace, Dad's girlfriend. Grace, these are friends of ours, Willow and Giles."

"Rupert, have you found out anything, yet?" Hank asked. When Hank saw that Giles wasn't sure how to answer that, he added, "Grace knows everything."

"Well, I think we may have found something. Buffy, Angel, is this the demon that attacked you last night?" Giles handed an open book to Angel.

Buffy and Angel both looked at the picture on the page. "Yes," they both said.

"How do I kill it?" Buffy asked.

"Well, you will need help from Willow and myself. We need to break down his majickal barriers before you can kill it by dismembering it."

"Slice and dice. Got it," Buffy said looking resolved.

"Buffy, we still need to figure out how to protect you from his majick. He will still be able to use his majick against you," Willow said.

"I don't want you facing this demon just yet," Giles said. "We're not fully prepared."

"What kind of demon is it?" Grace asked.

"It's a un démon majickien télépathe**. **It normally stays in France. I don't understand why it's here in California of all places," Giles explained.

"Maybe on it's way to the Hellmouth?" Angel asked.

"Angel, you know something?" Giles asked.

"Well, back in January, we killed a Mataza Niño Diablo. They normally stay in South America. And now we have a demon that normally stays in France, but it's here. I wonder if there is something going on with the Hellmouth that might be drawing them here."

"Could it be Buffy?" Willow asked.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"Well she _is_ The Slayer; could they be coming to kill her?"

"Vampires are usually the only ones that will hunt down The Slayer to kill her. And even among vampires there are only a few who will do so. Most demons tend to avoid The Slayer," Angel said.

"But another demon hiring these demons to come to assassinate her. That could be a possibility. These demons are unlikely assassins, but I think that given the right incentive, they might come to try to assassinate her," Giles said.

"True. I didn't even think of that," Angel agreed while Angelus growled inside his head.

"Willow, is Oz in Sunnydale or are The Dingoes on tour?" Angel asked.

"They just got back. Why?"

"Could you call him and see if he could go and intimidate Willy to see if he knows anything? If that doesn't work, we'll call Cordy to go buy him off. We'll pay her back when we get back home," Angel explained.

Willow looked at Hank and asked, "May I use your phone, Mr. Summers?"

"Sure. There's one in the kitchen," Hank answered.

"I'll come with. I'll make us some more tea," Buffy said.

As she got up she touched Angel's hand and smiled when she heard, _"Baby, bring me some of that blood that Giles brought. I'm starving! It's not your blood, but it'll do."_

While the girls were in the kitchen, Grace asked, "Mr. Giles, is it possible for someone to be addicted to vampire bites?"

_Here we go again! Will the bitch just shut the hell up?! _

_If I didn't think that her family and friends would freak out, I'd just tell them that the only vampire that drank from her is me and it's me that drinks from every night. Giles knows, apparently, I mean he brought us some blood, so he has to know. But her father and Willow would freak._

Giles looked confused for a moment but then said, "Yes, it's possible. There are places where people go to pay vampires to feed from them. Most of the time, sex is involved as well. The 'Feeder Houses' are basically brothels. But it's very rare for someone to become addicted to vampire bites. A vampire will usually drain the person the first time they bite them."

"But it is possible."

"Yes. The people who get addicted are the ones visiting the 'Feeder Houses'. But not all people who visit the 'Feeder Houses' will get addicted."

Grace smiled triumphantly, thinking that she may have just made a point. Then she continued, "Would more than one vampire bite a person in the same spot?"

"No. They can smell each other's marks, or scars from their bites. A vampire will avoid another vampire's mark or scar on a person. And if that mark or scar is a Mate's Mark, no vampire will drink from that person once they see the Mark. If they do, they break their laws and the Mate has the right to with the intruder as he or she sees fit. You see for a vampire to drink from another vampire's mate is like a man raping someone else's wife," Giles explained.

Angel continued, "While vampires don't really care about other vampires drinking from someone who isn't a Marked Mate, whether the person is willing or not, it is a grave offense to drink from a Marked Mate. Most vampires are not monogamous. There are a few exceptions, but _most_ have more than one sexual partner, even if they have Marked someone. The rules on that are bit different. But not even the most solitaire or ruthless vampire would ever drink from a person or other vampire who was a Marked Mate."

_Like I said earlier, Soulboy, speak for yourself. _

_Shut up, Asshole! _

"If they don't care that their 'mate' has sex with another, why do they care so much about another vampire 'drinking' from their mate?" Grace asked.

"Because it's a lot more intimate than sex. I can't explain it. Only another vampire or someone who has been Marked can understand it," Angel said.

"I've been bit before. I would have been turned, if it weren't for a group of vampire hunters that happened by. There was no intimacy to it," Grace said.

"On your part. If you were going to be turned, your would-be sire felt or was going to feel some intimacy to it," Angel said.

"My would-be sire, as you put it, was my brother," Grace said.

Angel smiled, "It doesn't matter. When a person is turned, the demon doesn't get their Soul. It's gone. They have no conscience. No morals. It's an easy way to live. Go around doing as you please with no guilt. The vampire keeps the same personality, memories, and mannerisms as the person, but not the purity, morals or anything good. All that is good is gone."

"Unless the vampire regains his Soul," Giles interjected looking right at Angel.

Angel just gave Giles a nod of thanks.

"Has that ever happened? Where a vampire has regained his Soul."

"Once," Giles said, both he and Hank gave a look at Angel.

* * *

Willow hung up the phone and said, "Oz said that he would pick up Xander and Cordy and go to Willy and hopefully between the three of them they might be able get some information out of Willy."

"Hopefully, Willy will know something." Buffy then changed the subject, "What do you think of Grace?"

Willow shrugged, "She seems nice."

"She does. I wonder why Dad didn't tell her about me."

Willow's eyes got big, _"WHAT?!"_

"Yeah, he didn't tell me about her, which is understandable. He didn't know how I would react to him dating again. But why doesn't he care enough about me to tell her about me?"

"What are going to do?"

"Angel and I are going to a hotel at sundown."

"Buffy don't you think that's a little drastic?"

"Will, he thinks so little of me he didn't tell his girlfriend that he had a daughter!" Buffy said as the teapot whistled. Buffy fixed the tea and put it on a tray, fixed Angel a mug of warm blood and put it on the tray.

Willow put a few slices of cake and a few saucers on the tray and they went into the living room just in time to hear Giles say, "Unless the vampire regains his Soul," Giles interjected looking right at Angel.

"Has that ever happened? Where a vampire has regained his Soul."

"Once," Giles said.

"So why can't all vampires just get a soul?" Grace asked, naïvely.

"Those majicks were lost a long time ago and it can't be done anymore," Buffy inputted.

"Actually, when I was cleaning out Miss Calendar's room, I found a disk with the curse on it. It looked like she had been working on it when she was killed. I'm just sorry I didn't find it in time to help Devlin," Willow said looking sadly at Angel.

"It wasn't meant to be," Angel whispered regretfully. Both the Soul and the demon missed their best friend of a couple of centuries. Buffy sat down beside Angel and he put his arm around her.

"What happened to the vampire that regained his Soul?" Grace asked.

"He spent nearly a hundred years feeling guilty for all of the crimes he committed when he had no Soul. And then started fighting and killing vampires and other demons," Giles said.

"How do you know that Buffy or another Slayer hasn't already killed him?" Grace asked.

The room erupted in laughter. "Trust me. I haven't. And neither has any Slayer before me," Buffy said. "And I won't."

"Not even by mistake? Have any of you ever met this 'souled' vampire?"

"Yes," Giles said.

"He helps us out a lot," Willow explained.

After a pause, Grace brought the subject back to addiction, "So what you are saying is that the person who is addicted to vampire bites might not be a masochist."

"Exactly. And the person who is addicted to vampire bites won't care who the vampire is that bites them. And a vampire will not bite into a scar made by another vampire," Giles explained.

"So has a Slayer ever become addicted to vampire bites?" Grace asked.

Buffy was shocked at the question. Giles quickly said, "No. It's never happened before."

"Any Slayer who has been bitten by a vampire has not lived to get addicted to the bite," Angel interjected.

_Well there was that one that was turned._

_That's just legend and she wasn't addicted._

_No, but she could have gotten addicted after she was turned. _

_Would you just stop making things more complicated?!_

"With the exception of Buffy," Grace added.

Angel was getting angry, "You're not listening; she is _not_ addicted to vampire bites!"

"But the scar has been reopened. And by the looks of it I would say several times," Grace argued back.

Buffy was stunned. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, _How could anyone be addicted to vampire bites? When a vampire bites you, you're __dead. When Angel feeds from me when we're making love it's different. He doesn't take that much. When the Master bit me it was different, it wasn't like Angel's bite at all._

Willow was also stunned, "You think that Buffy is addicted to vampire bites?"

"Yes and I'm very concerned. I see it a lot in the ER. Some one comes in with almost total blood loss and there are scars all over the body. Scars that look just like the one on Buffy's neck."

"But she only has one scar," Willow interjected.

"But it has been reopened several times," Grace said.

"How can you tell?" Willow asked. She had a feeling Angel had been feeding from Buffy. Not because of anything that Buffy had said or anything that she had seen, just from what she and Buffy had read about vampires and sex. She really didn't want to pry into Buffy and Angel's sex life – well all right, she did, but she wouldn't. That was just rude. _Good thing Xander's not here, he would go off on Angel if he had any idea that Angel had been feeding from Buffy._

"I work in the ER. I can tell when a scar has been reopened."

"Oh. Well, you could be mistaken in this case."

"I'm not."

"And Angel told you. I'm not addicted to vampire bites. So, no need to worry. I appreciate the concern though," Buffy said in a forced politeness. After a brief second, she telepathically asked Angel, _"Angel, do you think…"_

"_No!"_

"_NO!"_ "This conversation is over. Buffy and I will be in our room if anyone needs us," Angel said as he stood up took, Buffy's hand to help her off the couch. They walked hand in hand to her room. After the bedroom door was closed, Angel looked into Buffy's eyes and said, "Buffy, you are not addicted to vampire bites. You don't go out looking for other vampires to feed from you. What she was suggesting … it's not what is happening. She doesn't understand and she's just concerned for your well-being."

"I just don't see how people can get addicted to it. I mean when a vampire bites you, you get dead, not addicted."

"Most of the time, yes," Angel sighed. He had hoped that he could shield her from this, but he couldn't now. "You know how you feel when I ..."

"Yes," she interrupted when she saw that Angel had a hard time saying it. She knew what he meant was when he bit her when they made love.

"Well, most people who get addicted are bitten like that."

"But when the Master bit me, it wasn't like that at all. It was very painful."

"Well there are some who like the pain. But there are places that a person can go to pay vampires to feed from them. They're called feeder houses and most of the time, in these feeder houses, sex is also involved. The vampires are not supposed kill the paying customer."

"After you got your soul back, did you ever…."

Angel not really wanting her to know about it, but not wanting to lie either, told her the truth, "At first, yes, I did. Then it got to where even that was making me feel guilty, so I found other ways."

"Animal blood from the butcher shop?" Angel nodded. Buffy asked, "Does Giles know about these 'Feeder Houses'?" When Angel nodded, she asked, "Why didn't he tell me about them? Are these vampires off limits to Slayers or what? What if I come across one and don't know and dust them anyway?"

"Buffy, slow down. Just because these vampires are working the feeder houses doesn't necessarily mean that they're not evil. Most of the vampires that work the houses still kill and turn people. Most of the time they are working the houses for the sex that is involved with the feeding." Angel thought a moment, and then said, "They are like brothels. People go there to pay for a sexual experience whether or not they actually have sex or not, they still get the sexual pleasure. Those who get addicted most of the time go too frequently and end up being accidentally killed by a vampire who looses control and takes too much and some are turned when the vampire realizes that he took too much. The first case happens more than the second and not just to addicts. It's like being addicted to drugs.

"The vampires that are just working the feeder houses to get the blood they need to live, live in the 'Feeder House' so they don't leave. We never come across them," Angel tried to explain.

"So you really don't think that I'm getting addicted to your bite?"

"Is it so wrong for a wife to be addicted to making love only to her husband?"

Buffy wasn't sure about the answer to that question, but she had a feeling that she might be addicted to making love to Angel. There were very few nights when they didn't make love, mostly when one of them was hurt too badly during Patrol. Buffy decided to change the subject since she wasn't sure what the answer to Angel's question was. "So, I guess we need to start to pack."

"Are you sure? You haven't even talked with your dad yet."

"Angel, even after I talk with him, I know that I'm not going to want to stay here with him for a while. I mean he thinks so little of me that he didn't even tell his girlfriend of _three months_ that he even had a daughter," Buffy said sadly, as she stood in front of Angel and rested her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and held her close to him.

Angel could see her point. He really could. He was angry at Hank too. Having a child is something you should be proud of and not try to hide and it seemed as though he had been hiding Buffy from Grace. But he also didn't want Buffy to throw away her relationship with her father over this. He wanted their relationship to be repaired if possible. He wished he could have repaired the relationship between his father and himself, but regrettably, it was never to be. Even if Angel hadn't been turned, he doubted very much if he would have been able to repair his relationship with his own father. The wounds on both sides were just too deep. But maybe, just maybe with some communication, Buffy and her father could repair their relationship.

As they just stood there in each other arms, a knock came at the door and Angel asked, "Who is it?"

"It's Hank. Can I talk to Buffy?" Hank called through the closed door.

Angel looked down at his other half, and she gave a small nod, "But stay with us?"

"Come in," Angel called.

"Buffy, listen, Grace is just concerned about you. We didn't tell her that Angel was a vampire and I don't know why she thinks that your Mark has been reopened…."

Buffy couldn't believe her ears, "This isn't about what was said out there. This is about you, your feelings towards me and how that makes me feel."

"What?"

Buffy was fuming, when she shouted. "What? Dad, you had a girlfriend for _three months_ and never told her that you had a daughter. That tells me that you don't love me and that hurts me more than you'll ever know!"

Buffy was shouting so loud that Giles, Willow, and Grace could hear her in the living room. "Buffy, please keep your voice down," Hank pleaded. Buffy looked at him fighting back the tears in her eyes. Angel stood behind her as if to hold her up to keep her from falling. "Angel, could we talk in private please?"

"I want him to stay," Buffy said, knowing that she was drawing the strength for this confrontation from Angel's presence.

Hank sighed, "Buffy, I know I made a mistake and I'm sorry. Grace helped me to see last night that my reason for not telling her about you wasn't valid."

"So what was the reason? You're ashamed of me?"

"No, that's not it at all! I'm very proud of you, you're a hero -- even if only a few people know it. It's just that every time…." Hank sighed again and looked at the floor, "Every time I have been interested in a woman as soon as she finds out about you, she splits. I didn't want that to happen with Grace."

"If they split because you have a daughter, then they weren't worth it to begin with," Angel said in a low growl.

"Grace helped me to see that last night. I was wrong and I'm sorry, Buffy. Please forgive me," Hank said.

"I don't know if I can," Buffy said still feeling very hurt.

"How can I make this right?"

"Give me some time. Angel, go ahead and make the call," Buffy said unemotionally.

"What call?" Hank asked as Buffy put their suitcase on the bed and started to pack up their things. "What are you doing?"

Buffy looked at her father like he was stupid, "What does it look like we're doing?"

"It looks like you're packing, but where will you go?"

"Celtic Knights. We'll be in the penthouse," Angel said.

_You didn't have to tell Daddy exactly where we would be. All you had to say was a hotel._

"Buffy, please, don't do this," Hank pleaded.

"I can't stay here right now," Buffy said. "I can't stay with a father that doesn't love me. It hurts too much."

"Buffy, I do love you. I made a mistake, yes, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you."

Buffy was able to keep her emotions at bay and coldly said, "You have a funny way of showing it."

"Buffy, please, just give me another chance."

"Give me some time," was all Buffy said as she continued to pack.

Angel went in the other room to call the hotel to have them get the penthouse ready for them and have it stocked up on groceries. He told the manager of the hotel that he and his wife would be there shortly after sunset. One of the advantages of owning a hotel with a few penthouses was that you could always keep one penthouse open for you and your personal guests.

When Angel came back into the room, Willow was helping Buffy with the packing. "Uh, there's enough room for you and Giles to stay with us in the Penthouse," Angel offered.

"Thanks," Willow said. "I can't speak for Giles, but I'd love to stay with you two."

Grace knocked slightly on the open door, "Can I talk to you for a minute, Buffy?"

Buffy looked up and smiled, "Sure. Come on in."

"Buffy, please don't leave because of me."

Buffy shook her head no, "I'm not leaving because of you, Grace. It's my dad. I just need some time to think through things and I think he needs time to find out where I fit into his life now. And just how important I am to him."

Grace nodded and left the room.

* * *

Not long after dusk, Angel, Buffy, Willow, and Giles entered the Penthouse reserved for Angel and Buffy at the Celtic Knights Hotel. After they put their things away, Buffy and Angel made dinner while Giles and Willow started looking through the spell books that they had bought from home.

After dinner, while Giles and Willow were looking in the spell books, Angel and Buffy trained. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at each other when there was a knock on the door. Angel answered the door and Angelus groaned inside his head, _The bitch is back._

Angel ignored Angelus and asked, "Grace, how can we help you?"

"It's more 'How can I help you?' I want to help. I know what this demon did to Buffy last night and I can help out. Maybe not with the killing, but if anyone gets hurts, I can help out medically," she answered nervously.

Out of habit, Angel stepped aside and opened the door wider. Grace took Angel's body language to mean an unspoken invitation and walked into the Penthouse Suite.

"Uh… we're just in research mode right now," Buffy said eyeing her father's girlfriend suspiciously.

"Research. I might be able to help with that," Grace said as Angel and Buffy started training again.

Giles looked up from a book he had in his hand, "Do you know enough about the Majickal Arts to know if a spell would protect Angel and Buffy against other spells?"

Grace looked down at her feet and blushed, "Uh… no, I don't. I don't know anything about the Majickal Arts. But if there is something else I could research ..."

"Well, we already know what it is and how to kill it, we just need a spell to protect Buffy and Angel from the whatever spell that it uses so that they can slice and dice it. If we could just take down its defenses ..." Willow said excitedly as she reached for a certain book and turned right to a spell that had just occurred to her. "Yes, here it is, Giles, do you think that this will work?"

Giles looked at the spell, then back at Willow, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Yes, it should work. Willow, how did you know about this spell? It's well beyond your abilities."

Willow blushed and stuttered, "Well, uh, it's one of Miss Calendar's book and she and I had been working together and well … um … I was just looking through this book … that she lent me before she … well you know … and anyway, I was just reading the book and I remembered about the spell just now."

When Willow started to stutter, Buffy and Angel stopped what they were doing and listened in on what was being said. Angel had rested his hand on his Mate's bare shoulder. _"__Somebody's lying,"_ Angelus sing songed.

"_Yep. Wills can't lie worth a hoot." _Buffy then got a confused look on her face and thought to her Mate, _"What does that mean anyway? 'Worth a hoot'."_

Angel rolled his eyes and chucked as Angelus explained, _"It's just a saying, Baby."_

Willow saw the expressions on the couple's faces and tried to distract Giles from realizing that she was less than truthful, "Would you two stop that?! It's rude! I mean we all know that you are talking to each other because of your body language and it's irritating not hearing what you are saying!"

"Willow, don't try to get out of this. Look me in the eye," Willow obeyed and Giles continued, "Have you done any of the spells in this book?"

Willow looked guilty, "Maybe a few. But Miss Calendar was right there helping me. She said that she was working on some spell that she would need a back up for and thought that I could handle it, but she said that I needed to get ready cause it was some heavy majick. And I guess that disk I found was the spell she was working on."

_Damn it! I had asked Jenny not to let Willow get too deep into the Majickal Arts too soon. She needs to learn to control the natural power that she has before doing these large spells._ Giles sighed, "Just promise me that you will not do any of these spells without me present. These spells contain a lot of power, Willow. I just want to make sure that you can handle it."

"I can handle it. I know I can, Giles," Willow said.

Giles looked at the spell again and showed it to Angel to see if he had everything that they would need. As it turned out they needed to go to a Magic Shop to get some of the things for the spell.

On the way to the magic store, Buffy looked at Grace and asked, "Why are you really here? Are you trying to make me make up with my dad?"

"No, I'm not. I know if my dad did what Hank did, I would be angry too. It's between you and Hank. But I did want to you to know that I want to be your friend. I really do like your father and I want to get along with you as well. I don't want to come in-between you and your father." Grace sighed, "I'm not real sure how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Your father is the first man that I have had any sort of romantic feelings towards since my own divorce. I have no children of my own. Matter of fact that's why my husband left me. We found out that I couldn't have children. He wanted kids, and I couldn't give them to him. So he found some one that could – before he divorced me." She saw the shock on Buffy's face, "Yes, he got some twenty-something girl pregnant and divorced me. I swore I wouldn't fall in love again. So I can't say that I love him, but I do care for him – a lot. And I want him to be happy, but he made a mistake and he has to figure out how to make it up to you on his own."

"So, you're here to show that you want to be my friend anyway?"

"That, and well, to see if I could help save a few lives," Grace smiled as she thought, _Starting with yours. I need to make sure that you don't go hunt down a vamp to bite you._

After finding the demon, it didn't take long for Giles and Willow to perform the spell and bring down the demon's defenses and after that, it didn't take long for Buffy to kill him. They didn't need Grace's nursing abilities after all.

Giles and Willow left to go back to Sunnydale the next morning. When they got back to town, the others told them that Willy didn't know anything about any demons coming for Buffy.

Angel and Buffy spent the rest of the summer on a much needed vacation in the Rocky Mountains.

* * *

_**A/N: Please be sure to check out Angel's blue eyed girl, blackbeltchic, Brandi Rochon, D. M. Evans, and Emma's Angel for some really good B/A fics! Some of these writers even have Buffy/Angelus fics. :-) **_

_**Oh and if you like Superman please check out Kala Lane-Kent and **__**Eviefan **__**for some really good Lois/Clark. Eviefan also has some good Twilight fics (I'm beta'ing) as well.**_

_**Here ends the pimping of other authors for this chapter. I know I've never done this before, but some of these ladies have been pimping With Arms Wide Open and I thought that I would return the favor. I, personally, love their writing. And I know it's not common to tell of other fandom's and their authors, but I just felt that these two ladies -- well three ladies since Kala Lane-Kent is two ladies who co-write -- really deserve to be read by all who might like their fandoms.**_

_**Until next chapter!**_

_**Please review and if you have any ideas on what I could add in, just let me know in your review. I have a few things that I have to be done and I have the re-writes of the episodes I want to do, but if you have some idea for an original chapter which would equal an episode, just let me know. If you remember Jannet from last Book -- I think Chapter 5 or Chapter 6 -- she will be back in Chapter 3. Oh and Faith comes to town next chapter!**_

_**{{hugs}}**_

_**Mac**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Some parts of this chapter were taken from the third season episode titled **__***Faith, Hope, And Trick written by David Greenwalt.* **__**Transcribed by **__*****_AleXander Thompson_*****__** I tried to see what time the L.A. schools started and ended and couldn't find that information. I probably wasn't looking in the right place, but I gave up. I'm using creative license and saying that school starts at 7:00 and ends at 3:30. And that's because I need Buffy to have the classes that she has in the morning to be in the morning. I'm also going to say that each class is 45 min long with 5 min in between each class. And a 20 min break in the morning. Lunch is 60 min. Underlined thoughts are Angelus' thoughts.  
**_

_**Welcome Frosty600 to my beta team.**_

When the alarm clock went off, Buffy hit the snooze button. Angel looked up and said, "You hit it too hard, Grá." He then turned over to where he was laying on top of his wife and began to kiss her.

"_As much fun as it is to wake up to Angel kisses, I really want just a few more minutes of sleep, please."_

"_Today's your first day back at school."_

"_I know. That's why I want a few more minutes of sleep."_

"_If you wake up now, we have time for a quickie."_

"_Now that's something__,__ that I would enjoy waking up for," _Buffy told her Mate, through the bond that they shared.

* * *

"Oh, it's good to be back! Don't you think it's good to be back?" Willow asked her friends.

"It's good," Oz agreed.

"You two are weird," Xander gave his opinion. He gave Oz and Willow a weird look that spoke volumes on what he thought about the first day of school.

"I have to go with Xan on this one. It's not good," Buffy said.

"Angel just spoiled you this summer is all," Willow said.

Buffy grinned, "Yes, he did. It was nice being up in the mountains all alone. No alarm clock rudely waking you up in the morning."

"I for one will miss the shopping," Cordelia said.

"Well you can come shopping with me after school. I need a new alarm clock."

"Did someone bust the alarm clock this morning?" Xander asked.

Buffy nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, I kinda hit it too hard this morning when it went off."

"Just how many alarm clocks do you go through a year?" Willow asked.

"Well, last year, I went through four I think."

"Does Angel ever break an alarm clock? I mean he has that super strength as well," Willow asked.

Buffy thought about it for a minute, "I think he broke one once."

"Yeah, well, shopping for alarm clocks is not what I had mind," Cordy said.

"I'll go with you, Buffy," Willow offered.

"You're not going anywhere except to class," came Principal Snyder's voice from behind them. Making them all pause, grimacing in annoyance.

"We were just going to the Library to get our schedules for the new year, Principal Snyder," Willow said sweetly, giving him an innocent look.

"I've got my eye on you, Summers."

"MacKenzie. It's MacKenzie now, Principal Snyder," Buffy corrected him.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," the principal mumbled.

When they got to the library, they saw six different lines handing out schedules. The lines were organized by the student's last names. So Buffy and Oz got in the M-P line, Willow was in the Q-T line, Xander was in the E-H line, and Cordelia was in the A-D line. Buffy and her friends went to sit down at one of the tables to read their schedules and see if they had any classes together.

"I have Mrs. Parsons for English first period," Buffy said.

"I have English first period, too," Cordy said.

"I have Dr. Anderson for Chemistry II first period," Willow said.

"Hey so do I," Xander

"I have Mr. Brolin for Computer Science II first period," Oz said.

"I have Mrs. Pride for American History second period," Willow said.

"Me too," the rest of the Scooby Gang said.

"For third period I have Mrs. Miller for Geometry II," Xander said

"So do I," Buffy and Cordy

"I have Mrs. Parsons for English third period," said.

"I have Mrs. Parsons for English third period," Willow

"So do I, baby," Oz said.

"I have Computer Science II fourth period," Willow said.

"Hey so do I," Buffy said.

"And so do I," Cordy said.

"I have Art with Mr. Munson," Oz said.

"And I have English fourth period," Xander said.

"I have Coach Leader for Health and P.E. fifth period," Buffy said.

"Hey! So do I!" Willow said excitedly.

"Chem II. Dr. Anderson," Oz informed his friends.

"Me too," Cordy said.

"I have Computer Science II. But then we all have my favorite class – Lunch!" Xander exclaimed.

"Yep. And we get to eat off campus this year!" Willow said animatedly.

When Buffy looked at her last class, she was confused. "I have Mrs. Murray for … Office Management? How'd I get Office Management? It's like a three hour class!!!"

"It's not three hours, Buffy," Willow told her.

"Willow, look it says right here it starts at 12:30 and it's my last class."

Willow sighed, "That's because you get out of school right after that class is over. You go to lunch and then you to go the class for roll call and then you leave."

Buffy's face brightened, "You mean I get to go home after this class?"

"Well, not exactly. You have to get a job and go to work," Willow explained.

"A job? I have to get a job?"

"An office job."

"An office job? I can't get an office job!" Buffy started to panic. "Giles! Help!!!"

"Buffy, what seems to be the problem?" Giles asked as Buffy rushed into his office and closed the door.

"How did I get Office Management? I have to get an office job! I can't get an office job! You have to get this changed!"

"Buffy, calm down. I'm the one who got you into that class. It will free up some of your time for slaying."

"How, Giles, I have to get a job!"

"Yes, you will. You will have to get a job that will teach you office skills. Which is very simple really. You have two choices that you can choose from. Angel and I already talked it over. You can either work for MacKenzie Enterprises and learn the business, or you can work for me here in the library. Looking back at the time you have spent slaying, I noticed that most of your time skipping classes to slay were in the afternoon, so I thought that this would keep Snyder off your back."

Buffy straightened her shoulders and looked surprised at her watcher, "Really? You did that for me?"

"Yes, Buffy, I did."

"Thank you, Giles," Buffy said as she gave her mentor a hug.

"Yes, well, there were a few times when you had to skip a morning class or two, but that wasn't too often."

Willow and Oz had Advanced Math together sixth period, while Xander had P.E. with Coach Wax and Cordy had Mrs. Lambert for Drama. For seventh period they all had Study Hall in the Library with Giles. Willow was taking Foods and Nutrition with Mrs. Sharrock to learn how to cook. Xander was taking Shop with Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller's husband. Oz had P.E. with Coach Wax and Cordy had P.E. with Coach Leader for eighth period.

* * *

Buffy liked all of her classes so far. It was now sixth period and she was about to go to her first Office Management Class. She had no idea what to expect.

Her teacher called the roll and then started to give an overview of the class. "Alright class, this is the first year for this class. I'm sure you all were excited when you got your schedules and realized that you have a half day this year. But this is not an 'easy A' class. You want an 'easy A' go take P.E. You will have two weeks to get an office job. Here are some forms for your employer to fill out. If you already have an office job, great! Just have your boss fill out these forms and bring them back tomorrow. If you do not yet have an office job, when you get hired, your employer must fill these forms out and you need to turn them in the next day. If you don't turn in these forms two weeks from today, you will be reassigned to another sixth period class and two more classes added to your school day. You will report to this class right after lunch for roll call and then you will go to work. For those of you who do not have jobs yet, here is a list of businesses that have said that they would be willing to employ students for this class. Here is an interview sheet that whoever interviews you will have to sign, saying that you did apply for a job. You have to apply for at least three job interviews per day. Hopefully that will mean that you will interview for three jobs per day until you are hired. Any questions?" Mrs. Murray glanced over the class and continued not really giving the students a chance to ask any questions, "Good. Go get your first interview."

Everyone left the class. Buffy went to the library and saw Angel there. "Just the person I wanted to see," Buffy said.

"How's your first day so far?"

"Wonderful!"

"Giles told me that you have Office Management."

"Yep. Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"Because Giles wasn't sure if the class was going to be approved or not. He said that this is the first year."

"That's what the teacher said. She also said that I have to apply for three jobs a day until I get hired. And I only have two weeks to get a job."

"Well you have a job already. I could teach you the ins and out of the company or you could work with Giles."

"I think I like the idea of sleeping with my boss," Buffy grinned.

Angel also grinned and leaned down and kissed his wife.

"You're going to have to fill out some paper work though."

"Whatever you need, Muirnín," Angel said as he took the papers and started to fill them out.

Buffy brought the papers back to her teacher. "I'm sorry, Buffy, but I can't accept this as your class credit job. If your husband were to put someone else as your supervisor, it would work, but I can't let you have your husband as a supervisor," Mrs. Murray said compassionately.

"Well, what if I got job in the library working with Giles, would that work?"

Mrs. Murray thought about it for a minute and said, "Yes, that would work. You could be Mr. Giles' secretary. If he will hire you."

Buffy smiled and said, "Thanks." She walked back to the library. "Well, Mrs. Murray said that I can't have my husband as my supervisor, but that I could be Giles' secretary. Here are the papers to fill out, Giles."

Giles filled out the paper work and Buffy took them back to her teacher who smiled at her and said, "Well, Mrs. MacKenzie, go to your first day of work."

"Thanks, Mrs. Murray," Buffy smiled. Maybe Giles was right about this class being a good idea.

* * *

That night the gang was at The Bronze celebrating the first day of school. They were sitting at a table talking about their first day. Buffy had told them all about her last class of the day and how she would be Giles' secretary and get class credit for it. Angel pointed out a couple that was leaving the club. Buffy and Angel started to follow the couple and the rest of the gang followed them. When they got outside they heard a fight already in progress. They noticed that the couple who they had been following was a girl with a vampire. The girl fought like a slayer and when she noticed her audience said, "Hi, you must be Buffy, got a stake?" The girl didn't give Buffy a chance to answer before she snatched the stake Buffy was holding. The girl expertly staked the vampire and then handed Buffy her stake back and said, "Thanks, B. I'm Faith."

"Uh. Yeah. Um…."

"I thought that we could hang for a while. My watcher went on vacation. To some Watcher's Retreat. She told me all about you and I just thought that we could…"

"Hang…"

"I'm Xander, this is Willow and Oz and this is Cordelia," Xander said introducing everyone purposely leaving Angel out.

Buffy didn't know how to react. This girl wasn't anything like Kendra and a part of Buffy thought that Faith was trying to replace Kendra and that didn't sit well with her.

Faith looked at Angel as if she was checking him out and said, "You must be Angel. Heard about you too. You're all souled up and you help B out."

Angel nodded, also not knowing what to do or say. Faith looked like she didn't believe that Angel was good at all.

"I'm guessing you're a new slayer?" Xander said to confirm what everyone else was thinking.

"Yeah," Faith said matter of factly.

* * *

Oz and Cordelia appeared to be listening to Willow and Xander as they were retelling Faith's adventures as a slayer while Giles was in the office on the phone with the Watcher's Council trying to get a hold of Faith's watcher at the retreat. It was an honor to get invited on the retreat. He had never been invited on the retreat and he was feeling left out. He didn't understand how Faith's watcher could be invited to go to the retreat and he wasn't invited.

Giles walked to the table where the kids were seated. "Isn't it wonderful? Now Buffy won't have to skip any classes to go slay. Faith can take the morning hours while Buffy's in school. Or at least until her watcher comes to get her," Willow said.

"Her watcher won't be coming to get her," Giles said somberly.

The gang was confused at the statement and Xander was the one to ask, "Why not? There was no retreat?"

"Oh no, there is a retreat right now. That part was true. But Faith's watcher is dead." At that point Angel and Buffy walked in. Angel had heard that last statement, but hadn't had time to let Buffy know.

"Giles, there is something majorly wrong with Faith. At first she was acting all normal…," Buffy scrunched up her forehead and then continued, "or at least what I think is normal for her, anyway, she was telling Angel and me about some big vampire she killed and then we get jumped by this gang of vampires and she just goes all homicidal maniac on one of them. If Angel hadn't been there, we could have been in major trouble. I mean Angel and I handled three of them each and Faith just beat this one up. She wouldn't stop beating him, until I dusted him. She majorly wigged on us."

"Where is she now?"

"Don't know she ran off. Angel and I thought we would come talk to you about it before trying to find her."

"Sit down, will you? Both of you," Giles said gently.

After Buffy was seated on Angel's lap, Giles took off his glasses and started to clean them, Buffy took a hold of Angel's hand and thought, "_Uh Oh. He's cleaning his glasses, never a good sign."_

Before Angel could respond to her, Giles started to explain the situation. "Well, I think I might know what happened. Did any of the vampires say anything?"

*"Something about kissing toast."*

Angel smiled and said, "He said, *'For Kakistos we live! For Kakistos you'll die!' 'Kakistos' is Greek. It means the worst of the worst. It's also the name of a vampire so old that his hands and feet are cloven.* Or at least that's the legend. He's supposed to be even older than Master Nest was."

*Giles went to get a book and started to leaf through it when Buffy said, "Now, this guy shows up two days ago, right? Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene."

Giles looked up and considered, "You think he and Faith are connected?"

"Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidences and leprechauns."*

Angel cringed, but didn't say anything.

*"Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived here by chance simultaneously."

"Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?"

Giles thought for a moment, "As far as I know, yes."*

Angel decided to speak his mind on the subject, "uh…"

Buffy rolled her eyes and didn't let her husband saying anything else, "Have you ever seen one?"

Angel looked into her eyes and simply said, "No."

"Alright then, until you see one, your opinion doesn't count. You grew up in Ireland when they all believed in leprechauns and fairies and such."

Angel knew she didn't mean to offend him, but he took the opportunity to tease his wife, he leaned back and looked hurt, "My opinion doesn't count?"

Buffy realized just what she had said, "Well of course your opinion counts, just not….well…it's…umm…You know what I mean. It's bigoted on this subject is all."

Angel held back a laugh. He knew exactly what his wife was trying to say, but she looked so delectable when she was all flustered, so he raised an eyebrow and said, "Bigoted?"

"Well, yes…I mean no. That's not the word….it's uh…Giles! What word am I looking for?"

Giles looked up trying hard not to laugh and said, "Biased."

"Yes! That's it! Your opinion is just biased because you were taught to believe in leprechauns, so until you see one, there is really no proof yet," Buffy said hopefully. Then she saw Angel trying to hide a grin and lightly slapped his chest, "Oh, you….!"

Angel shut her up with a kiss. Giles cleared his throat and dropped the book on the table. Buffy and Angel looked up at him and smile innocently. "My library is not your bedroom."

Buffy blushed as Angelus decided to make his appearance known to her, _No, it's not our bedroom, but it sure was a great substitute the other night in the book stacks up there._

"Now back to Faith."

"Yes, let's talk about Faith. She says that _I_ have a problem?! She's the one beating a vamp to a pulp for kicks. And another thing, I don't like the way that she looks at Angel. Like she can't wait to get him alone so she can stake him … Or jump his bones," Buffy said.

"_Baby, there ain't no way she could stake me,"_Angelus let his Mate know.

Giles ignored Buffy's comment, "Buffy, her watcher was killed and I think that she is having a hard time with her watcher's death. She needs to get refocused. Evidently, she was taking her grief out on that vampire tonight, which leads me to believe that her watcher may have been killed by a vampire."

"Makes sense," Angel said as he remembered how Buffy had tried to quit after her first watcher was killed by a master vampire in Los Angeles. He had been training during that time as well as watching over her. He had tried to help her without her knowing about it, but his help wasn't enough to save her watcher.

"So, how do we help her?" Buffy asked.

"You might want to try to get her to talk about it. Let her know that you found out that her watcher died. Ask her how it happened. And just be there for her. Share with her your own experiences," Giles suggested.

* * *

Angel tracked Faith's scent to a rundown motel. "Well this looks to be the place where she ran to."

"Man, this is…is…"

"Buffy, you live where you have to. She's a teenager with no job, she dropped out of school … this is a roof over her head."

"Angel, there must be something that we can do."

"There is. But whether or not she will take the offer is another story. Sometimes people are so proud, they don't want to take help from others. They see it as a weakness."

"There has to be a way, Angel. I mean this could have been me if things hadn't worked out they way that they did."

Angel smiled, "We'll try to find a way to make it seem as though she would be helping us out by moving into the mansion with us."

They walked up to the room to where Faith was staying and saw the manager talking with Faith. Angel had overheard the manager talking about paying the rent. The Manager looked around and saw the couple and said, *"Roommates are extra."*

"We're *just visiting*," Buffy said and Angel slipped the man some money to cover for Faith. Faith never saw what happened, but the manager left.

After the manager left, Faith asked, "So what brings you to the poor side of town."

"Well the town's kinda small you walk you run into the rich side of town and you walk some more and there's the poor side of town," Angel quipped, but the joke fell flat.

*"Cloven Guy. Goes by the name Kakistos," Buffy said.

Faith was taken aback, "What do you know about Kakistos?"

Buffy said, "That he's here." The look on Faith's face betrayed her apprehension at hearing this. "We're not happy to see old friends, are we? What'd he do to you?"

Faith quickly grabbed her bag, "It's what I did to him, all right?" She put the bag on the bed and started to stuff her things into it.

"And what was that? Faith, you came here for a reason. We can help," Buffy pleaded for more information.

Faith looked up from packing, "You can mind your own business." She pointed at herself, "_I'm_ the one that can handle this."

Buffy was getting irritated, "Yeah. You're a real bad-ass when it comes to packing." She got a look from Faith, but continued, "What was that you said about my problem? Gotta deal and move on? Well, we have the 'moving on' part right here. What about dealing? Is that just something you're gonna dump on me?"

Faith talked as she finished packing, "You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through. I'll take care of this, all right?" She then headed for the door.*

Angel took the opportunity to say something, *"Like you took care of your Watcher?"

That stopped Faith cold. She let go of the doorknob and looked down sadly. A moment later she turned to Buffy* and Angel.

*"He killed her, didn't he?" Buffy asked compassionately.

Faith angrily replied, "They don't have a word for what he did to her."

There was a knock at the door. Faith looked through the peephole and saw the manager looking very strung out. She sighed, "Oh, what now?"

"Faith, you run, he runs after you,"*Angel *warned.

"That's where the head start comes in handy," Faith said as she opened the door and saw Kakistos standing behind the dead manager, holding him up. Faith stepped back into the room aghast.

Kakistos dropped the manager's body and smiled at her. "Faith," Kakistos roared and grabbed Faith by the neck.

She grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him off of her, but he was too strong, "No!"

Buffy rushed up between them, shoved Faith back into the room, forcing Kakistos to let go, and slammed the door on his arm. He yelled in anger and pain, and eventually had to pull his arm out.* Angel helped *Buffy slam the door shut. Buffy locked it* while Angel *put on the safety chain.

Buffy said, "*We *just bought us a little more..." Kakistos punched through the door and tried to reach for Buffy, "...time!"

Faith panicked and screamed, "NO! NOOOOO!"

"Scream later! Escape now!" Buffy told her sister slayer.*

"This way," Angel led the way to the *bathroom. Buffy dragged Faith behind her. Behind them, Kakistos kicked in the door.*

Angel kicked out *the bathroom window and Faith scrambled through. Buffy* and Angel *jumped through right behind her.

Buffy called out, "Let's go!" She took Faith's hand again, and they started to run. They reached a fork in the alley.*

"Go! I'll try to hold them off!" Angel told the girls. Buffy and Faith ran to the left of the fork.

"You can't take on all of them by yourself, Angel! There are too many!"

"I can thin them out a bit, for you, Go! Get to safety and then we can regroup and plan!" Angel begged the love of his life.

*Trick and his thugs reached the intersection a moment later* and Angel fought a couple of them. While he was fighting, some of them slipped past him. *One of Trick's guys followed the girls. Trick signaled for two of the others to double back while he and a fourth took the right fork.

Buffy crashed through a warehouse window, and Faith jumped in behind her. They scrambled to their feet and saw the vampire chasing them run right past.

"We're okay," Buffy faced Faith. "What happened?" Faith was too freaked out to think straight. "Faith, what happened?"

Faith was frightened as she remembered what happened, "I... I was _there_ when he killed my Watcher, and I saw what he did to her... what he was gonna do to me. I tried to stop him, but I... I couldn't. And I ran."

Buffy breathed hard, "Faith, first rule of slaying: don't die. You did the right thing. Okay? You didn't die. Now you do the math. One of him, two of us."

Faith looked past Buffy shaking her head, "No."

"Yes."

Faith was getting panicky, "No." Buffy turned around to see what Faith was looking at. There on the floor were the bodies of a Pizza Man and others, "This is his place."

"He drove us here," Buffy realized.

One of the vampires appeared at an entrance and growled at them. They begin to run through the warehouse. The vampire gave chase. Two others came in the other side and tried to head them off. Buffy stopped by a bucket, put her foot in, and kicked it into one of the vampire's faces. He stumbled backward and over a chair. She did a full spinning hook kick to the other vampire and a side kick to another one behind her. He fell backwards over a table. Buffy ran and jumped onto the table, log rolled over it and kicked him in the back as he tried to get back up. Kakistos walked into the building, his one-eyed gaze fixed on Faith. Buffy rolled to a stand on the table. She picked up a crowbar and swung it baseball style at yet another vampire advancing towards her, hitting her squarely in the neck and knocking her down and out. She saw Kakistos advancing on Faith. "Faith!" Buffy got her attention and then continued, "Don't die!" She then threw her the crowbar.

Faith caught the crowbar in mid-air, but before she could swing it at Kakistos, he punched her hard and knocked her into a bunch of large wooden beams leaning against the wall. She hit the floor as the beams came tumbling down.

Trick walked in calmly, nodding his head and observing the fight. Buffy, knife in her hands, stabbed her attacker in the neck and threw him into an assisted front tuck off of the table. Kakistos calmly stepped up to Faith as she scrambled up against the wall, cowering. He reached down and grabbed her by the shirt, picking her up off of the floor.

Faith yelled out, "NO!"

Once he had her up, he punched her squarely in the face. Buffy was no longer on the table, and she roundhouse kicked over it, knocking the legs out from under a vampire standing on it. He rolled off of the table and onto his back, and Buffy staked him cleanly. She looked up and saw Faith being whaled on by Kakistos. Behind her, the unconscious vampire awakened.

Kakistos finally hit Faith hard enough to knock her from his own grip onto the floor. He roared loudly. Buffy jumped up and ran over to attack him. She roundhouse kicked him in the back of the knee, spun around and tried to backhand him in the face, but he blocked it. She spun around the other way and backhanded him in the face. The now wakened vampire got back up from the floor, and Trick comes up behind her.

Trick wonders out loud, "If we don't do something, the Master could get killed." He considered that for a moment, and decided that wouldn't be such a bad thing, "Well, our prayers are with him." He and the vampire turn to leave.

Buffy tried to stake Kakistos, but the stake couldn't easily penetrate his thick hide, and so it had no effect on him. He grabbed Buffy by the hair, lifted her and threw her back. Trick and the vampire calmly continue on their way out.

"There's a reason these vengeance crusades are out of style. It's the modern vampire who sees the big picture," Trick pondered on the way out.

Buffy backhanded Kakistos, landing a hard punch. He swung at her, but she ducked. She stood up and tried to stake him again, but even though the stake went in deeper this time, it still had no effect on him. Again he grabbed her by the head and shoved her back into the wall. Faith recovered from her daze, and saw him looming before her, but looking at Buffy instead of at her.

"I guess you need a bigger stake, Slayer!" Kakistos laughed maniacally.

Faith saw that one of the fallen wooden beams had a broken end. She lifted it up over her shoulder, and before Kakistos could turn his attention back onto her she thrust the beam through his chest and out his back. He looked down at it and back up at Faith, and then exploded into ashes.

Buffy stared in amazement. Faith heaved a few heavy breaths. Buffy pulls the hair back from her face and steps over to Faith, who looked around to make sure nothing else was about to attack. They both look down at the pile of ash left by Kakistos.

"You hungry?" Buffy asked.

"Starved," Faith answered.

They both headed out of the building* only to run into Angel. "Everything ok?"

The slayers looked at each other and smiled. "Five by Five," Faith answered.

Buffy took her husband's hand and silently asked, _"What took you so long?"_

"_Well, after I fought and killed about five of them, I had trouble tracking you. Did you double back?"_

"_Yeah, they drove us into his hideout. But they're all dust now – including Kikistos."_

* * *

*The next day at school, Giles got up from his desk and came out to the table in the main room. "The council has approved our request. Faith is to stay here indefinitely." He walked around the table and picked up some papers, "I'm to look after you both until a new Watcher is assigned."

Buffy was sitting on the table and Willow was sitting in a chair. Buffy* swung her legs*, "Good. She really came through in the end. She had a lot to deal with, but she did it. She got it behind her."

"I'm glad to hear it," Giles said as he looked over the papers.*

* * *

**End A/N:** Sorry about the long wait for the update. I was having computer problems. I still am, but I decided to try to update anyway. Chapter 3 is being sent off to the betas right now. While you are waiting for my next update, please check out the following pen names:

bite-or-avoid, D. M. Evans, Taaroko, jaymartinez, frosty600, Angel's blue eyed girl, AngelusdarkAngels, SquintandProud-x, and butimbroken.

These are some great B/A or B/Aus authors that I really enjoy reading their fics and I think that you might like to read their stories as well.

**_Also, if you would like to write an NC-17 scene for me as guest writer and get all the credit for that scene, then please eamil me at: LadyMacKenzie gmail. com (just remove all spaces)_**

I hate asking for reviews, but I'm here to say that I love to read what you think of what I have written. I do try to respond to each review, and if I forgot to respond to one of your reviews in previous chapters or stories, then I'm sorry and I will try to do better this time.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

WAWO Book 2 Chapter 3

**A/N: WARNING:** Someone close to Buffy will die this chapter. Also, because of the emotions in this chapter, I couldn't break it up. Angelus uses harsher language in the NC-17 rating than in the Teen rating but that's the only difference. All scenes are in both ratings. This chapter is 53 pages in MS Word Times New Roman font size 14 (which is what I write in). There are 13,367 words including the notes and 12,802 words in the chapter. I worked very hard on this chapter and I would really like some feedback. Thanks.

**REMEMBER:** Janet from chapter 5 or 6 of Book 1? She makes a return this chapter. If you all remember, she wants Angel and she's not a very nice person and she doesn't have any qualms about lying to get what she wants. I just thought I would have a little fun with her and let her get caught in a lie and then maybe later, if I have some input on how to use her later, I will do that. But as far as right now, I'm out of ideas on how to use her again. Not even Cordy's friends like her. LOL Let's say that she's on the Cheer leading squad and thinks she as popular as Cordy and her gang, but while everyone knows who she is, no one really likes her. Maybe she has one or two friends that hang out with her for some reason or another, but they are not in this chapter.

Now on with the chapter….

* * *

The library was unusually dark for it to be the middle of the day. Usually, the windows would let in a little sunlight, but today there was rain storm that blocked out the sun. It was Willow's Study Hall period so she was in the library.

Giles had just gotten a call from the school board informing him that he had to computerize the card catalog. He really hated computers, so he told Buffy to do it and Willow was helping her.

A boy, who Willow recognized as Scott Hope, walked in and sat in a chair by Buffy, "Hey."

"Hey," Buffy said politely.

"Listen, I know we don't know each other that well, but I just wanted to say that I'm here for you. I know it must be rough, what you're going though and all."

Buffy looked confused, "And what are you talking about?"

"You know, your husband cheating on you with Janet. Not to mention the baby you have at home."

Giles dropped a book he was holding, Willow fell out of her chair and Buffy looked stunned, "Could you run that by me again?"

"Well, Janet was telling everyone at lunch today how she and your husband slept together. She said that the only reason that you got married this past spring was because you were pregnant and that you had the baby this summer. And all I'm saying is that I'm here for you. You know if you need me."

Buffy started to laugh. "First, I do not have a baby and I have never had a baby. Second, Angel is totally faithful to me. Trust me I would know if he ever cheated on me. And third, **JANET IS A BIG FAT LYING HO!**" Buffy stormed out of the library to go hunt down the girl who had apparently been spreading rumors.

Willow followed Buffy out of the library and Giles wasn't far behind. Giles was hoping that he wouldn't have to step in between the two girls, but to keep Buffy out of trouble he would.

Buffy found the person that she was looking far just down the hall, "**JANET!** What the hell is going on? Why are telling people that I had a baby this summer and that you slept with Angel? Angel wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, and I have never been pregnant."

"Oh really? The only reason for a seventeen year old to get married is because she's pregnant."

"Oh get over it! This is not the eighteenth century! Just stop the rumors. You know nothing about my life and my marriage!"

"I know that I slept with him," Janet said triumphantly.

"Oh really? Then describe his tattoo and tell me exactly where it is," Buffy looked at the girl expectantly.

Janet quickly thought and said, "That's a trick question, he doesn't have one."

Willow said, "Wrong."

"Buffy."

Buffy turned and saw her husband. "Oh good you're here…."

"Buffy."

Something in Angel's eyes, made her stop, "Angel? What's wrong?"

Angel walked up to his wife, took her hand, and told her through their bond, _"It's your grandmother. She's asking to see everyone. Your aunt called while I was helping your mom at the gallery. I called and the plane is waiting for us and your mother. We need to leave straight from here. The plane is at LAX and your father will meet us there. She wants to see him too."_

Buffy looked as though she was going to collapse. Angel pulled her into his embrace. She didn't even hear Harmony tell Janet, "You're a liar, Janet. His tattoo is on his right shoulder blade and it's a bird of some kind with an 'A' between it's claws. I saw them outside the Bronze last Friday night and let me tell you they were going at it pretty heavy and she had his shirt off and his hand was …" Janet finished her story for all the students except Buffy's friends who were turning to Giles for an explanation.

As Buffy and Angel turned and walked into the rain, Willow saw Giles and asked, "What's going on, Giles?"

"It's her grandmother. They don't think she will last till the end of the week. She's asking to see everyone, including Buffy and her mom."

"Angel's going with them, isn't he?" Willow asked as they walked back into the library.

"Yes, he is. They're meeting her father at LAX. "

"But I thought that it was her mom's mother that had cancer."

"It is. But she wants to speak to Hank before she dies."

"So how long is B gone?" Faith asked as she saw Giles and Willow walk into the library.

"I don't know, Faith. Probably until next week or so."

"Cool. I have that big ole mansion to myself for a while," she saw everyone's confused glances. "Angel asked me to house sit while they were gone and I said 'yes,' it's better than having to pay for a room."

"Where did Summers go?" Snyder walked in angry.

"It's MacKenzie now, Snyder, and her school day is over. She's working for me now. All you need to know is that she will be out of town visiting her dying grandmother and won't be back until after the memorial service," Giles said with an attitude that Ethan Rayne would have called him Ripper for.

* * *

Buffy, Angel, Joyce, and Hank all boarded the private jet at LAX just a couple of hours after Angel picked Buffy up from school.

After they were in the air, Hank timidly asked, "Can we talk, Buffy?" Buffy just looked at her father. When Angel didn't object and Buffy didn't say anything, he continued, "I just wanted to let you know that I know I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. I just didn't think it was important to let every date I have know about you." Buffy sat there and Angel could smell her pain, and started to growl low, but Hank decided to try and dig himself out it some more, "I mean, I … I just… I just don't want to say too much, you know? I'm extremely proud that you are my daughter. You save the world on a nightly basis, and I'm afraid that if I slip up and tell someone then a vampire will find and be able to find a weakness," Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You have a very big heart, Buffy, and that's a good thing. It's just that if a vampire finds out that you have a family and friends then they can use those close to you against you." Hank repeated what he had remembered Giles telling him a while back about why most of the past Slayers had no family or friends. "I just don't want to jeopardize you, Angel, your mom or friends. So, I thought that I would wait until things got really serious with a woman before I told her about you."

Buffy looked at him like she didn't believe him, "Dad, you don't have to give my life's story. All you had to say is, I have a daughter named Buffy, she lives in Sunnydale, but sometimes, she comes to visit me."

"You're right. Like I said, I made a mistake and I'll try to do better. Forgive me?"

Buffy looked at her father and knew that he was trying his best to repair their relationship. She was still hurt, but thought that he wouldn't make the same mistake again, "As long as you don't hide me from your dates again."

"I won't," Hank promised.

Buffy closed her eyes and took Angel's hand, _"I wish there was room enough to train. I really need to let off some steam."_

"_Why don't you try to get some sleep? It'll be a few hours before we get there,"_Angel suggested.

Buffy unbuckled her seat belt and walked back to a room in the back. Joyce and Hank had never been on a private jet before and this was nothing like a commercial jet liner. It was like a plane out of the movies. The seats were facing each other and in the back was a room that looked to be a meeting room. Joyce got up and walked to the back where she thought there was bathroom. When she passed up the "Meeting Room", the door was open and she saw Buffy lying down on a bed. _Oh my gosh, there is a __**bed**__ on this plane. _ She knew that Angel had bought the plane to go Ireland for their honeymoon and it was a long flight to Ireland, but she didn't think that Angel would have put a bedroom on the plane.

Hank was right behind her and whispered, "I did not need to know that our daughter was a member of the Mile High Club."

Joyce turned to her husband and looked mortified. At first she thought it was sweet that Angel had thought about the long flight and how tired they might get and put a bedroom on the plane. She hadn't thought about them making love on the plane and she didn't want to, "Hank, remember they went to Ireland for their honeymoon and it's a long flight there and back. The bed is probably for rest."

"Ok, Joyce, live in denial if you want."

"I want. Now shut up, Hank!"

Angel heard their conversation, but acted like he hadn't heard it. He just went into the room and closed the door behind him and lay down on the bed and held his wife. He could tell that she was dozing lightly so he decided to let her sleep as long as she could. When he put his arms around her she stirred and snuggled closer to him. _I wonder what the Mile High Club is._

_I don't know, Soulboy. But from the way Buff's parents were talking, it's not good. We better ask her about it when she wakes up._

"_I've never heard about the Mile High Club. Why would you ask me?"_

"_Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."_

"_Your dad said that he didn't need to know that you were a member of the Mile High Club."_

"_I've never heard of it. Ask him what he meant,"_ Buffy said through their bond and it wasn't long after that, that she was asleep again.

* * *

A few hours later, the pilot asked over the income, "Everyone please return to your seats and put your seat belt on, we are about to land."

As they were landing, Buffy asked, "Mom, I just thought of something. Is Uncle Mike going to be there?"

Joyce sighed and said, "I'm sure not, Buffy. All I know is that your nana just asked for all of us to come be with her for her last few days."

"What if he confronts me and I loose my temper?"

"Buffy, you won't loose your temper."

"I did with Ted, remember?"

Joyce looked stunned. She had forgotten about that. "Buffy, Ted turned out to be an evil robot though."

"But we didn't know that when he hit me and I hit back. With all of my slayer strength. I didn't hold back. And we thought that I killed him."

"Buffy, I think that was different. You knew that something was wrong with him and you acted accordingly. I think that you have a better handle on your temper than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine. And your father and I will do our best to keep Mike away from you."

"Your mother is right, Buffy. I'll handle Mike. Don't worry about him. Just spend time with Nana. Everything will be fine," Hank assured his daughter.

* * *

They arrived at the Martin's residents about an hour or so after they landed in Lansing. When they walked into the house, Buffy saw her aunt Terry and tensed up. Terry smiled at her niece and came up to her and gave her a hug, "Don't worry, Buffy. He's not here. I left him for good this time." Buffy smiled and relaxed and hugged her aunt back. "Go on into Mom and Peter's room. She's been waiting for you. She says she has something important to tell you and your new husband." She turned to Angel and said, "I'm Terry. You must be Angel. I'm sorry I didn't make it to the wedding. I wanted to, but … something came up and I couldn't make it."

"It's alright," Angel said.

"Just follow Buffy. She knows where to go. Mom made us promise that as soon as you got here that we would send both you and Buffy back to her. She wants to talk to you two privately."

Angel followed his wife back to her grandmother's room. "Nana…"

"Buffy, you made it. Good. Come in, child. And is your husband with you?"

"I'm right here, Mrs. Martin."

"Good, Good, come in, both of you. And close the door. What I have to say may not be for others' ears." Angel closed the door and Mrs. Martin inhaled and said, "I know that you are the Slayer, Buffy." She could see the surprise on both Buffy's and Angel's faces. "I figured it out when I was in Sunnydale for your wedding," she smiled. "I wanted to say something to you before we parted ways, but I just couldn't find the time to let you know privately, and I didn't want to tell your mother if she didn't already know."

"She knows, Nana, she knows," Buffy said.

Mrs. Martin smiled, "Good. I was going to tell you that it would be wise for her to know."

Buffy smiled, "I think it's the only reason she let me and Angel get married right now instead of waiting."

"You might be right about that."

"How did you figure it out?"

"Well, you know that Peter is my second husband right?" Buffy nodded. "Your mother's father died when she was two months old. I met him …."

"At Oxford, I know, Nana. You've told me before."

Mrs. Martin nodded, "So I have. But what I didn't tell you is that my best friend's boyfriend was a watcher along with my first husband, Jonathan. Of course later on, Martha and George got married and had a son. We kept in touch. Even after Jonathan was put in charge of a slayer and was transferred here to the States. Martha and I would write back and forth every week and when we could, we would send pictures of our children to each other. I figured out that you were the Slayer when I saw Martha's little boy walk you down the isle. Rupert's your watcher isn't he?" Buffy nodded. "Good. I'm glad you got a good watcher. I had suspected that you might a potential, but I didn't let the council know about it. I didn't want them to take you away from Joyce. Does your father know that you're The Slayer?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Now, Angel, I want you to take extra care of her, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She looked him right in the eye and said, "I want the strongest promise that a vampire can make." When both of her guests looked shocked, she said, "I just saw Buffy's Mark and it wasn't there when I saw her at the wedding. Now if Rupert helped to give her away to you, then I know that you must somehow be good. I know exactly who you are and while I had my doubts when I first realized it, I have to trust Buffy and her watcher."

"He was cursed with a Soul a hundred years ago, Nana."

"So that's where you disappeared to," Mrs. Martin smiled. "I still want that promise, Angelus."

I think she wants your word, Angelus. She already has mine.

"I swear on our Bond, I'll take care of her and our family," Angelus said as he came to the forefront.

"Good. Thank you. Now that you know that Jonathan was a watcher, I want you to have his diaries. He sent a copy off to the council, but he kept the original copy for himself. When he was killed, I kept them. I thought that I might need them one day. I had toyed with the idea of becoming a watcher myself. After all I had taken in a slayer and I had helped Jonathan with his duties, I knew how to be a watcher…," she trialed off. "Now, the dairies are yours, Buffy. Maybe there is something in there that can help you out."

"Thank you, Nana. I wish I had known that you knew about me being a Slayer and Angel being a vampire. You could've been at the Bonding Ceremony."

"You let her go through the bonding ceremony?"

"I wanted to, Nana. It was my idea. Willow had found about it through the Watcher Dairies that Giles has and she told me about it, and I insisted on it."

Mrs. Martin looked at her granddaughter and smiled, "And we all know that when you get something into that noggin of yours, you don't let it go. I'd be interested in knowing if there are any uh…side effects on a human being bonded with a vampire."

Buffy looked at her Mate and he nodded and she said, "Well we have this thing where sometimes we can hear each other's thoughts. But we have to be touching skin to skin. Like holding hands with no gloves on, or something like that."

"I bet that's nice when there are others around and you need to discuss slaying."

"Yes, Ma'am," Buffy said. "Nana, how was Mr. Christianson killed?"

"By a vampire who was hunting down The Slayer. She killed Jonathan and when Rosie went to avenge his death, she killed Rosie. I heard that another slayer killed her a few years later." Buffy nodded. She would have to look all of that up. She really wished that she would have gotten a chance to know her biological grandfather, but a vampire had taken that chance away from her. "Buffy, the diaries are in the top of my closet. I want you to take them now, before anyone else sees them."

"Yes, Ma'am," Buffy said as she went to get the diaries.

"There is also something else I want you to have, Buffy. Angelus, could you bring me my jewelry box, please?" Angel picked up the jewelry box from the jewelry box. He carried the container to Mrs. Martin. "Thank you, Angelus," she said as she opened the box. "These are for you. They won't help you in your fight against evil, but they are pretty and I think that they would go great with your eyes. It's just a little something that I thought you could wear to your prom or any other time that you get dressed up."

Buffy looked at the pink gem earrings and matching necklace, ring, and bracelet, "Thank you, Nana. They're beautiful."

"It's what I wore the day that your grandfather graduated from the Watcher's academy. I wish he could have seen you. He would be very proud of you, Buffy." Buffy smiled. She was touched. "Now, tell me about when you were called and how your parents reacted when they found out and all of that."

Buffy and Angel told her all about the past two years of Buffy's life and how Joyce and Hank had found out about vamps while they were supposed to be having dinner to meet Angel as her boyfriend. However, they did not tell her that Joyce had walked in on Buffy and Angel making love and that was the reason Hank was going to meet Angel.

* * *

Buffy and Angel walked out of the room a couple of hours later and walked into the sitting room where Joyce and Hank were talking with Terri, Darlene, and their brothers as well.

"…and hopefully, he doesn't know that I'm here," Terri was saying.

"What makes this time different? You've left before and you keep going back," Hank said.

Terri looked down and Buffy could see the tears in her eyes. Darlene spoke up, "I read some where that an abused woman will leave her abuser an average of seven times before she leaves for good."

"**SEVEN TIMES?!** Why so many times?" Paul, one of her brothers was shocked.

"The reasons vary. It could be that she isn't ready to leave, it could be that by her leaving, she's putting those that she loves at risk. Her friends, her family… it's also the most dangerous time for a woman. Over 70% of women who are killed by their abuser are killed during the time that they leave. Terri has been in a shelter for the past few months. Ever since she was released from the hospital. She took a very big chance to come here."

"Well it's been several months now, surely he's given up. I mean before when she left, she was only gone for a few weeks at most," Joyce said.

"Mike's been calling and asking where she is. We wanted to change the number here, but Mom won't hear of it, so we just blocked his number. But … we're still afraid that Mike will still find out that she is here."

"I was the one to go pick her up, so maybe he won't know that she is here. I mean her car isn't here," Keith, another brother said.

"And we were super careful. He picked me up from a gas station. When ever I have some one pick me up from the shelter, I never tell them where the shelter is, they pick me up some where else. I had some one drive me to the gas station right off the interstate so hopefully, Mike won't find out where I'm staying right now."

"How long were you in the hospital?" Hank asked.

"A month. They kept me there as long as they could and there were police officers outside my room and he wasn't allowed to see me. Then when they released me, the domestic violence case worker, took me to a shelter. We had it planned it out and so far he hasn't found me."

"Terri, you know I love you. If you need a place to stay, come stay with me. You can have Buffy's old room."

"We have plenty of room at the mansion. She can stay with us as well," Buffy interjected.

"That's sweet, Buffy, but I don't want to put you in any danger from him. And, Joyce, I ran to you once, he'll look for me at your house."

"He's already called and I told him I didn't know where you were. I don't think that he'll call again," Joyce said.

"He will. Just give him time. He lost your number and he doesn't remember where you moved to. He's called all of us asking for your number, but we won't give it to him. The divorce papers have already been filed. Once he gets the notice, he's going to start harassing us all until he finds her," Keith's wife, Sara said.

"I don't care. I want her to be safe. And I really think that she can be safe with me."

"Mom's right. I think that Sunnydale will be the safest place for her." _"Did I really say 'Sunnydale is the safest place'?"_

"_Yes you did, but in this case you're right. I mean, you're The Slayer and you and I both can protect her,"_ Angel said through their bond.

"I'll think about it, alright?" Terri said.

"I over heard that you were in the hospital. Why?" Buffy asked. The siblings and their spouses all looked at each other and the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Buffy sighed, "I know that Uncle Mike beats her. I just want to know the excuse he used this time. The time that it put her in the hospital."

It was a minute before some one said anything. That someone was Paul's wife, Sandra, "She was trying to go to your wedding."

Buffy looked stricken and then she looked guilty, "Please, Buffy, don't feel guilty. It's not your fault. It's him. I'm just sorry I couldn't have been there."

"It's alright, Aunt Terri. It wasn't your fault. I'm just sorry I couldn't save Celia. Then he wouldn't have started to hit you."

"We don't know that, Buffy. And the doctors couldn't do anything for her. She just got sick, darling. It wasn't your fault."

Buffy turned sad eyes on Angel and he just hugged her closer to him, _"She's right. It's not your fault. You had no idea of the demon world then and even if you did, you couldn't've helped out. You barely beat the thing a few months ago anyway. The only way that you could see it was with a high fever. You were in the same room with it with Celia and you couldn't see it even though you were a young child. So the fever was the key to seeing it. You have no reason to feel guilty over this."_

"Hey, Buffy! You made it! We weren't sure if you were going to make it or not!" a girl with long red hair said as she walked in.

"Kim! It's nice to see you. This is Angel, my husband. Angel, this is Kimberly, my cousin."

"She's my daughter, Angel," Paul raised his hand. "I guess we didn't really tell you how we are all related here. Not all of us could make it to your wedding. And we're sorry about that."

"It's alright."

"Terri, is the oldest. And Joyce is next. They're Buffy's… exscuse me, Elizabeth's daughters from her first marriage. After their father was killed, she met my Dad and they got married. I was from Dad's first marriage, and Terri and I are the same age, and Keith and Darlene were Dad's and Buffy's twins. They're the babies. Sandra is my wife and we have Kim who is our baby and we have two older boys, Ben and Chris. Ben has gone to pick up Chris, who goes to NYU. They should be here soon. And then Keith and Sara have two that are asleep right now. Their names are Kristine and Kayla. They just turned five months. Matter of fact that's why Keith and Sara weren't at your wedding. It was too close time for the twins to be born. They say that twins skip a generation, well, not in this family. Keith had the twins." The siblings all chuckled at the family joke. "As far as Darlene and Sam's children, I think you met them at your wedding. Louis and Margaret."

"Yes, I met Louis and Margaret," Angel smiled as he remembered the children that had been in his wedding. He never told anyone, but Louis and Margaret were so protective of Buffy, that they made him promise to never hurt her because she was their favorite cousin. He had thought that was so endearing.

"And in case you haven't figured it out, your wife was named after our Mom," Terri said proudly.

"Yes. We tried to get to Joyce to name her Elizabeth and make Buffy her nickname. Just like Mom's, but she didn't think that anyone would know that Elizabeth was Mom's Christian name," Darlene laughed.

"Hey! I'm proud of my name," Buffy smiled as she defended her mom.

"Joyce, your mom would like to see you and Hank now," Peter came out and told them. Joyce and Hank went to go see her mother while Buffy and Angel went to the room where they were going to sleep.

* * *

"It's creepy. She's still alive, but she's giving away all of her things," Kim said.

"She just wants to make sure that there are no fights. You know that she called all of the aunts and uncles here back in February to plan out the funeral," Ben said.

Buffy walked into the kitchen and closed the blinds and then Angel walked in. Buffy poured her cup of coffee and sat at the table as Angel started to make breakfast. Kim, Ben, and Chris watched as the two went through their morning routine. Buffy looked as if she didn't get much sleep at all. "Well, the newly weds don't like morning sunshine."

"Angel's allergic to sunshine," Louis said as she bounced into the kitchen. "But he's going to make some pancakes!"

"Yeah, there's this rare disease that Angel has. And it made him allergic to sunshine. I forget the name of it, though. I remember seeing a movie about it on Lifetime with Mama one day. He's just lucky that he doesn't have live in a bubble!" Margaret rambled on as she followed her older brother into the room.

The young adults in the room just nodded their heads as they accepted this explanation and Buffy and Angel didn't say anything to contradict the young girl. It seemed the perfect excuse and no one suspected anything out of the ordinary if they went with that story.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, Buffy?" Chris asked and the others laughed.

"No, as matter of fact I didn't," Buffy looked up at her cousins and saw that they were all laughing at her. She had a feeling that they thought they knew why she didn't get any sleep. But in reality she had a hard time sleeping last night because of nightmares. All of her cousins looked amazed when Angel set a glass of orange juice and six pancakes smothered in syrup and butter in front of Buffy, "Thanks, Baby, but I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, Mo Grá."

"I'm just not hungry right now."

"Eat," Angel said softly as he kissed his Mark on her shoulder.

"_I fed from you; you need to eat something now, Lover! You look as if you're about ready to pass out,"_ she heard Angelus say within Angel's head.

"_I'm not moving until you start to eat,"_ Angel told her through their bond.

Buffy knew that he meant business, after all Angel and Angelus rarely agreed on anything. She knew that Angel wouldn't move until she started to eat so she took a sip of her juice and then took a bite of one of the pancakes and Angel went to get everyone else's breakfast. Buffy found out that she was hungry after all and ate everything that Angel had given her plus seconds.

"You eat so much, Buffy, where do you put it? I mean to look at you, you would think that you don't eat much. If I ate what you just ate, I would be fat as a pig," Kim said.

"Uh… I work out a lot, so I can eat anything I want."

"Cool." Kim looked at the clock and said, "Oh gotta go. Some of us still have to go to school today. I gotta tell ya, I've been so glad that I lived next door to Nana all my life, but right now, when all of you are out of school because you're here, and I still have to go to school, it sucks. Come on Benny, we're goin' to miss the bus."

"And I wish I hadn't goofed off so much last year. Now I have to repeat senior year," Ben complained.

"Yeah, well, we still have school," Louis said as he tried to join in on the conversation.

"Yeah, we get to take school everywhere we go," Maragret said.

"That's cause you're home schooled," Buffy said. "And while, I'm not home schooled, Willow is emailing me my school work. And Angel is going to make me do it."

"You're right I am. The way that Snyder looks for any reason at all to kick you out of school, you better believe that I'm going to make you do your work," Angel said as Kim and Ben walked out of the front door.

Joyce came into the kitchen and fixed a plate of pancakes and sat down and began to eat. "Angel, the pancakes are delicious as always."

"How did you know that Angel was the one who made them?" Chris asked.

"Angel is the only person I know who can make pancakes like this," Joyce said. "Oh before I forget, Mom said that you two can use the basement to train if you want." Buffy nodded.

"Train?" Chris asked.

No one acknowledged his question and Angel turned to his wife and said, "I'm ready whenever you are."

"What are you training for? And why would you need to use the basement?"

* * *

When Kim and Ben got home from school, they went directly over to their Nana's house to see how she was doing and was surprised to find everyone in the basement.

"What's everyone doing down here?" Ben asked and his grandmother shushed him.

"Hush, child. Just watch."

Kim and Ben both saw Buffy standing still, blindfolded in the middle of the room. Angel was circling her and all of the sudden he struck out at her and she blocked him. She threw a punch and so went the "dance" of Buffy and Angel training. Mrs. Martin just shook her head in the negative. "This is great! How do they do that?" Kim asked.

"I don't know, they've been like this all day. It's like they can't touch each other and they're not even winded," Chris said in awe. He had never seen such a pair that fought in sync with one another.

"All right. Everybody upstairs," the elder Buffy said. "We need to leave them alone."

Everyone groaned their protest, but did as the old woman asked. However, she stayed as did Joyce and Hank. "Buffy, Angel, stop holding back. I want to see what you have," Nana said.

Buffy took a glance and saw only her parents and her grandmother in the room and let loose, as did Angel. This time, there was no holding back. At one point, Buffy hit Angel so hard he flew back and hit the wall. After a few minutes of fighting, she held a stainless steel practice stake at his heart, signaling that the fight was over and she had won.

"That's more like it," the elder Buffy said with a grin. "I've never seen a better Slayer. Rupert has done well to train you the way he has. And Angel has done wonders training with you. I'm very proud of you, Buffy, my dear." Buffy turned to her grandmother smiling while trying to catch her breath. "Now, Angel, be a dear and help me back to my bed, please."

"Yes, Ma'am. Muirnín, go get something to eat, I'll be there in a minute."

Buffy, Joyce, and Hank went to get some lunch while Angel took Mrs. Martin to her room.

"Angel, I know it maybe awkward for you, but for my last few days on this earth, please, call me Nana, like your Buffy does."

Angel smiled in response. He was touched, "It has been a while since I had a grandmother, I'd be honored, Nana."

* * *

"Wow, Buffy, how long have you and Angel been doing that? You were going at it all day and you never lost your breath. Never even took a break," Chris said. He continued without giving either Buffy or Angel a chance to answer him, "Can you teach me some of those moves while I'm here? I mean I live in New York City now, and I've been a little worried about muggings, but if I had some of your moves, I'd feel safer, y'know?"

"Well, Angel and I could show you a few moves I guess. But really it takes a while to get it all down to where it's second nature."

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Uh, about three years now, everyday and Angel and I started training together about a year and a half ago a little here and a little there, but after we got married this past March, we've trained together everyday," Buffy said as she bit into a sandwich.

"Well a little bit is better than nothing, right?" Chris said.

Buffy smiled, "Sure."

There was knock at the door and Chris went to see who it was. "Uncle Mike, hi!" he said as he stepped aside to let his uncle in.

"Is your Aunt Terri here?"

"No she's not. Now get out," Buffy said as she walked in. She didn't give Chris time to answer. After all, he had been at NYU for the year or so, so he might not know that Aunt Terri had left Uncle Mike.

"You little murderous bitch!" Mike said as he slapped Buffy.

She closed her eyes and got control of her temper, she was determined not to loose her temper. She stuck her chin out and straightened her shoulders, "Get out or I will throw you out! You're not welcome here."

"You're the one not welcome here!" He said and punched her in the stomach just as Angel came down the stairs.

Angel was at Buffy's side in a split second. _"Are you all right?"_

"_I'm fine. Trying not to kill my uncle, but I'm fine."_

"_Well if you don't kill the bastard then I will."_

"_No, we won't. We will let the police deal with him. I just have to keep telling myself that he's human and I can't touch him."_

Angel then heard Kim in the other room on the phone, "Please, get someone out here right now! My aunt's life is in danger and so is my cousin's! He just hit my cousin and he put my aunt in the hospital in March. She's left him, but he found her! Please, we need the cops here now!" Kim was whispering so fast into the phone that Angel wondered if the person on the other end of the phone could understand her. He could smell the tears and knew that the young teen was crying.

Angel placed himself in-between the man and his wife and quietly said, "You need to leave now, sir."

"And who are you?"

"I'm Angel, Buffy's husband and you don't know how lucky you are right now. Now get out before I loose my temper."

"You married that murderous bitch?!" Mike threw a punch at Angel but Angel caught it and just tightly held onto the man's fist.

Angel's eyes flashed gold and the sound of sirens stopped Angel from punching the man out, "Get out of this house and don't ever come back!"

Two policemen came running up with their guns drawn. _I guess they understood the whimpering girl after all,_ Angel heard Angelus say in the back of his mind.

"**FREEZE!**" one of the police officers said as four other officers joined him and his partner.

Mike at that point saw Terri trying to hide behind her brothers and sisters and their spouses but at the same time trying to see what was going on.

"Terri! Terri! Tell them that I'm your husband! That I belong here. He just attacked me."

Chris was stunned. "No, Uncle Mike, you attacked Buffy like you always do! You hit her twice and you tried to hit her husband and he caught your fist before you could. That's what happened, Officer," he said.

Terri didn't say anything; she just hid behind her family. The police officers quickly recognized this as something that a battered woman would do and pulled Mike into the yard. The police officers interviewed everyone separately. They also found the divorce papers in Mike's coat pocket and Terri showed them the restraining order that Mike had just violated.

"I was tricked into signing those papers! She is still my wife!"

"How were you tricked, Sir?"

"The person who delivered them told me where to sign and I did."

"Did you read them before you signed them?"

"**NO!** I just said that I was tricked didn't I? He said that I had to sign in all of those places so I did, then I took them inside and read them!"

"Sir, it was your fault that you didn't read them. You never sign anything without reading it first. Can't do anything about that," one of the police officers said.

Mike was still arguing with them as they put him in the police car and drove him off.

Another police officer was talking with everyone else inside, "There is a new law that just went into effect. In cases of domestic violence, the state prosecutes. So there is no way that the charges can be dropped. With Mrs. MacKenzie's testimony, he will get jail time for assault. With Mrs. Butcher's medical records and past police reports, he will get additional jail time. I can't say how long he will be in jail, but …,"

"Uh…I don't live here. When will I have to testify?" Buffy asked.

"What about all of us? Couldn't she just write down her testimony and then with all of us to testify that he hit her, wouldn't that work?" Kim asked.

"Well, give us your contact information and the D.A. will be in touch," the officer said. "He might be able to work around your school schedule or he might be able to work something out where you won't have to be here. I can't really say."

* * *

It was eight-thirty before the police officers left. Buffy had her head on Angel's shoulder, _"I wish there was place like the Bronze to go and let off some steam."_

"_Do you want to go dancing or do you want to go slay?"_

"_Both. I want to dance and I want to kill something."_

Angel asked, "Are there any dance clubs around here?"

"Yeah there's Base. But they don't serve any alcohol. It's just a place for teens to dance," Ben said.

"That's fine. Could you show us where it is?" Angel asked.

Kim and Ben looked at their parents. Their father said, "Well I think it would be alright for you young people to go dancing. We can come get you if we need you."

Kim's face lit up, "Thanks, Dad!" She then turned to her cousins and said, "Let me make a couple of phone calls and then we can go."

Buffy and Kim changed their clothes and then they all set out to go to the club. "I called Hannah and the gang and they'll meet us there," Kim told her brother.

"Great! Let's go," Ben said.

Buffy and Angel met Kim and Ben's friends and Angel sat down at a table and watched his wife dance. After a few songs, Buffy came to the table where Angel had a diet soda waiting for her. He had been keeping an eye out for some vampires but so far he hadn't seen any. Of course it was still early and this was not the Hellmouth. But, he also knew that vampires were not exclusive to the Hellmouth and they loved to pick up their prey at places like this. Buffy and her cousins and their friends sat down at the table and started to talk amongst themselves. While they were talking, Hannah, noticed a group of people walk in. "Oh my gosh! Check out the 'Biker Gang' all decked out in leather," she laughed.

Buffy and Angel immediately looked toward the door and then looked at each other. They clasped hands, "I think I recognize a couple of them."

"_Just when was the last the time you saw the ones that you think you recognize?"_

"_A year before I got my soul."_

"_So how do you want to play this? Are you going all 'Mine' on me or are going to be here looking for prey and pick me?"  
_

"_Let's play it by ear. I don't know if they know about my soul or not. If they don't, then we can play it Angelus looking for prey, but if they've heard about my soul, then we will have to do something else to get them outside."_

"_All right. Just let me know when you find out." _"Come on let's go dance some more," Buffy said and the young adults followed her to the dance floor.

As they were dancing, Buffy noticed that Kim was trying to dance close to one of the vamps that came in just a few minutes ago. She tried to stay close to her cousin.

Meanwhile back at the table, one of the female vamps that had walked in walked up to Angel, "Angelus, it's been a century or so. Darla around here?"

"Victoria, nice seeing you too. And no Darla is not here. Matter of fact Darla is in Hell. She was dusted about a year ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No you're not. You never got along with her. But I'm not sorry either. So it doesn't matter."

"I didn't know you were in town."

"Just passing through."

"Stopped in for a bite I see." When Angel didn't say anything, she continued, "Care to stay with us for a while?"

"Let me think on it."

"Oh I see John has some one already. The girls just flock to him like they do you. You know I bet you could pick up some real tasty morsels if you would wear leather," she grinned.

Angelus grinned back at her. "I've been told that I look good in leather and velvet."

"Come on let's get some dinner and then we can get out of here and go do our own thing."

Angel followed her to the dance floor. He found his Mate dancing near her cousins who were in armored with the vampire gang and a slow song came on and he grabbed her and started to dance with her. _"Doesn't seem as though Vikki knows that the damn gypsies cursed me with a soul. So don't give away the fact that you're my Mate just yet, Baby."_

"_All right, but that one is getting too close to Kim, I'm going to go break it up and get her away from him."_

"_Kim's not the only one that's been targeted. Ben is getting close to Carrie. I don't know John and the others, but I do know Vikki and Carrie. They're as old as Darla was. They're not Aurelius, though. But they are strong. I think it will take both of us to take them out."_

"_So, it will be a good workout?"_

"_It will be more than a workout, Buffy. It will be like going up against Spike and Devlin together."_

"_Ok, so I'll be totally on the ball. But we have to stop them, Angelus."_

"_No, we don't, Buffy. You have to stay alive!"_

"_Angelus, I'm not going to argue about this…"_

"_Good,"_he interrupted her thinking that she was listing to him.

"_We will take care of them tonight."_

"_Damn, woman!"_

Angelus didn't have time to say anything else because a fast song came on and the teens started to dance to that. Buffy moved away from him and toward the vamp that enthralled her cousin. The vamp, looked at her like he recognized what she was, but didn't say anything just kept dancing. Angelus went over and looked the vamp in the eyes and said, "Mine." Only the other vamps around heard him over the music, and they all knew that they were not to mess with his prey.

Vikki smiled at her minion and then turned to Angelus and Buffy and said, "May I cut in for just a moment please?"

Buffy backed away and went back to John and Vikki hissed, "What are you doing, Angelus? That's the Slayer! We don't want trouble with her! We just want dinner!"

"Don't worry, Vikki, I've got it under control," Angelus smoothly said.

"Yeah just as soon as she puts a stake through your heart!"

"She already had you picked out when you walked in the door. All of you, just by the way you're dressed. She doesn't suspect that I'm a threat," Angelus grinned at her. He then took Buffy's hand and started to dance with her again.

After that song was over with, the vamps took their prey outside into the alleyway for the kill. Buffy's cousins had seen Angel talking with their new dates so they thought they were safe. The teens thought that they were going outside to a private area to make out. But when they got outside all of the vamps vamped out, including Angel. The teens except for Buffy, screamed, and Buffy, said, "Please don't scream you'll only excite them. They like it when you scream. Just run and get out of here." Her cousins started to run and then she turned to the vamps. "Ok I've had a really bad day and then you try to pick up my cousins to eat? I don't think so. Who wants to go first?"

Vikki smiled, "I'm sure Angelus would love to go first, since he targeted you."

* * *

Kim stopped and said, "Do you think they're following us, Buffy? Buffy? Hey guys, where's Buffy and Angel?"

They all turned around and saw that their cousin and her husband had not followed them. They turned back to go get them and heard Buffy say, "You know what they say, save the best for last. You want to go first? Cause I gotta tell you, your age is starting to show around the eyes."

Vikki lunged for her and the fight began. The rest of Vikki's group tried to help her out, but all but Carrie were dusted. Angel and Carrie were fighting and Carrie knocked Angel down and grabbed Buffy and went in for the kill when she froze. "Carrie, finish her!"

"She's Marked!"

"What do you mean she's Marked?" Vikki yelled and then she noticed Angelus' Mark on his Mate. She looked at Angel who had an evil grin on his face, "You son of a bitch! You Marked The Slayer?!"

"And we're Bonded too, bitch!" Buffy said as she and Angel staked Vikki and Carrie simultaneously.

As soon as the dust cleared, Buffy saw Kim hyperventilating and Ben was staring in horror. "What just happened?"

"Well, Ben, uh… the police would tell you that you were attacked by a gang on PCP," Buffy said slowly as she tried to gage weather or not her cousins were going to believe the old standby.

"That was no gang on PCP. Their faces changed. And they turned to dust when you stabbed them," Ben said as his sister was still hyperventilating.

"Kim, breathe," Buffy went to her cousin before she passed out. "Kim, look at me in the eyes, that's it, breathe, slowly, inhale, hold it, exhale, hold it, in hale, hold it, exhale, breathe normally, you ok now?" Kim nodded her head yes and Buffy turned to Angel, "We're going to have to tell them." Angel nodded knowing that she was right.

"Why did they turn to dust like that?"

"The truth? Or a sane answer?"

"The truth," Kim said determinedly.

Buffy looked down and then back up at her cousins, "They were vampires."

Kim and Ben laughed until they saw that Buffy and Angel were not laughing. "You're serious."

"You said you wanted the truth."

"What's the sane answer?" Ben asked.

"Trick of the light," Buffy said.

"I think I like that better," Ben said.

"Fine believe what you want," Buffy said as she and Angel started to go back inside the club.

"But that's not the truth is it?" Kim asked.

Buffy and Angel stopped without turning around and Angel said, "Buffy already told you the truth. If you choose not to believe it, we can't do anything to convince you and we're not going to try."

"What's a slayer?"

"The Slayer is the one girl in each generation who has the strength and skill to fight the vampires and demons. Ask Nana, she can tell you."

"What did that one mean when she asked Angel about Marking a slayer? And you said that you were bonded as well. What does that mean?"

Angel sighed and said, "When a vampire marks a mate, the vampire commits their self to that person or vampire. It's not uncommon for a vampire to take a human mate. To be Bonded and Marked, is like being married. The bonding ceremony is the vampire wedding. I had never heard of a human going through the bonding ceremony before. I wasn't even sure if a human could survive it."

"Why not?"

"Because the vampire has to drink from the one they are bonding themselves to," Buffy said.

"You mean bite?" Kim asked feeling like she was about to get sick.

"Yes," Angel answered.

"And you let a vampire do this? What did Angel say about this?" Ben asked.

"Angel is the one that I'm Bonded to."

It took a minute before either one said anything, but after it sunk in, Kim asked, "So that means that Angel is a vampire too?"

Angel looked guilty as he quietly said, "Yeah."

"But a good vampire right? Cause you wouldn't marry an evil vampire right?" Ben asked.

"Angel is the only vampire with a soul. He's the only good vampire. But make no mistake; before he got his soul back, he was the most feared vampire on the face of the earth. He was called Angelus the Scourge of Europe. Then he fed on a gypsy girl about a hundred years ago. Her clan restored his soul and conscience."

"So he won't hurt us."

"As long as you don't hurt Buffy, you're safe from me. You're family and I'll do anything to protect our family."

"But Uncle Mike…"

"Is lucky that the police showed up when they did because I was about to rip out his throat," Angel growled.

Kim thought it was best to change the subject, "You said that if I didn't believe you, to ask Nana. She knows about all of this?"

"Yeah. I just found out yesterday when we got here. Her first husband was a Watcher."

"What's a Watcher?" Ben asked.

"A Watcher is a person who helps to train the Slayer."

"Are you Buffy's Watcher?" Kim asked.

Angel smiled, "No, I'm not. Rupert Giles is her Watcher."

"And it turns out that Nana knows Giles' parents. So when she saw him at my wedding, she knew I was The Slayer. I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you all about it if you ask her."

They all went inside and danced some more, Chris never having known that his siblings and cousin had even left the building.

* * *

When they got home, Buffy and Angel looked in on Nana and saw that she was awake. They went in and told her about the slaying and having to explain to Kim and Ben about vampires being real. Kim and Ben came in to ask her about the slayers and Elizabeth Kimberly Darling Christianson Martin enjoyed telling her grandchildren all about slayers and the slayer that she and her first husband had taken care of and trained. "…You know, I think that Joyce and Terri were both potentials. But they were never called. It's not something that I would ever wish on my children or grandchildren. It's a hard life and all too short. But, I am extremely proud of you, Buffy. I know that you didn't choose this. When I got back home from your wedding, I asked the Council about you and they sent me the journals that they have on you already. Buffy, you're special. No other Slayer has had a life outside of slaying and I think that's what makes you so strong. Don't listen to those fuddy duddies at the Council. You and Rupert just keep on doing what you are doing now and you'll make it to be the longest living slayer alive. There are prophecies written about a special Slayer. And I believe that you are her. I hope so, anyway."

"I don't like prophecies," Buffy grumbled.

"These you'll like, dear. They're wonderful prophecies. They're in the diaries that I gave to you. Have Rupert translate them. Jonathan translated them once, but I've lost the translations. Thank you for coming in here and telling me about the slaying you did tonight. It makes me feel apart of something bigger again."

* * *

Kim let Buffy borrow her laptop to get her email from Willow. While she was doing her homework, she also looked up what The Mile High Club was and blushed when she saw what it was.

"What are you reading?" Angel asked when he noticed how red her face was.

"I… uh… looked up what the Mile High Club was."

"Well, what is it?" Angel asked as he looked over his wife's shoulder. "Oh," was all he said when read that a person or couple became members of the Mile Club when they had sex a mile above land -- usually in an airplane.

Buffy finished her homework, emailed Willow and told her what had happened at the Base. She didn't tell Willow about her biological grandfather being a watcher. She would wait and talk to Giles first about that. After she turned off the laptop and gave it back to Kim, she went to bed.

* * *

A couple of days later, Joyce and her siblings along with Buffy and Angel were in Mrs. Martin's room visiting with her. Joyce noticed that her mother looked tired and worn out. She said, "It's all right, Mama. You can go. We'll be fine."

"_No, don't go! I'm not ready! How can Mom say that she is ready?" _Buffy thought, but since she and Angel were holding hands, he heard her through the bond.

"_She's not really ready for your grandmother to go anymore than you are. But your grandmother is tired and your mother is giving her permission to let go. To accept that eternal peace,"_Angel explained.

After all of Mrs. Martin's children and her husband agreed, she called everyone into her room and they were all standing around her bed. Kim and Ben's parents had gone to check them out of school so that they could be with their grandmother. "I know that this is my last few minutes on earth and I just want to be surrounded by my loved ones. Sing to me, please."

"Sure, Mama, what do you want us to sing?" Terri asked.

"Sing some hymns or praise songs. Doesn't matter. I want something with Holy and Hallelujah in it. Yes, that would be perfect."

So the group gathered at Nana's bedside sang some hymns and praise songs. Angel felt like Angelus was trying to claw his way out of his mind. The demon inside of him was in a lot of pain and was trying to get out of the room, but he didn't move from Buffy's side. He wouldn't leave Buffy in her time of need. He knew that once her grandmother's heart stopped beating that Buffy would need him and he was going to be there. No matter how painful it was for him to be inside of the room with everyone worshiping God.

"Please, don't let anything or anyone sway you from your belief in God," Nana implored looking into Buffy's eyes as she said it and then into each and everyone else's eyes at her bedside. While they were singing _Holy, Holy, Holy_, Elizabeth "Buffy" Kimberly Darling Christianson Martin's face took on a look of peace and joy and she said, "I'm ready, Lord," and then she took her last breath.

"_Her heart's stopped,"_Angel told his wife through their bond.

"No… Don't go. I'm not ready for you to go," Buffy whispered as she stopped singing. She buried her head into Angel's chest.

With tears running down their cheeks, Terri, Sara, Keith, Chris, finished singing the last verse of the hymn. No one else could find their voices to finish the last song. But everyone knew that Nana had gone onto Heaven the way that she had wished. Now came the hard part, the funeral and then a memorial service. Everyone was glad that it was already planned out and the casket was already picked out. They had felt awkward picking it out six or seven months ago, but now they were glad that they had done so.

Angel quietly walked Buffy back to their room and just held her as they lay down on the bed.

* * *

Even though everyone had expected her death to come, it was hard on everyone. They had been able to say good bye and for that they were grateful, but it didn't make them miss her any less.

But it seemed hardest on Louis and Margaret. The two siblings didn't want to make the already upset adults any more upset. They hadn't ever seen an adult cry so that in itself was upsetting to them. Then, when their mother had finally stopped crying and came over to them, they had started to cry and it made their mother cry again. They then promised each other never to cry in front of the adults again.

After watching everyone for a few hours, they had noticed that Angel seemed sad, but he was the only one that wasn't crying. They also noticed how he never left Buffy's side and every time that she started to cry, he would hold her hand and she would blink away the tears.

"Maybe, if Angel holds our hands too, we won't cry and make everyone feel worse." Margaret said.

"Maybe," Louis said. "But, he gots only two hands. How can he hold Buffy's hand, your hand and my hand?" Louis asked.

"I don't know. But just being near him makes Buffy feel better. So maybe if we are near him, we'll feel better too."

The children went over the couch where Buffy and Angel were sitting. Buffy had her head on Angel's shoulder and had closed her eyes. Angel had his arm around her holding her close to him when Margaret climbed up on the couch beside him and tried to mimic Buffy. She was too short to put her head on his shoulder, so her head was on his chest, and Louis sat next to his sister and took Angel's hand into his own and held on for dear life.

Angel looked at the two children and smiled sadly. He didn't know what brought this on. He had been so focused on Buffy, that he hadn't really noticed how anyone else was doing. But here were these two adorable little children who had sought him out. He lightly squeezed, Louis' hand and said, "Hey, you two. What can do I for you?"

"Make us feel better like you do to Buffy," Margaret pleaded.

Angel's dead heart plummeted into his stomach at that simple innocent request. Nothing he did made his wife feel better, he knew that. It was impossible. But somehow, these children thought that he did. "What makes you think that I make Buffy feel better?"

"She's not crying like everyone else," Louis said.

"That doesn't mean that she's not hurting like everyone else. Some people just show it in different ways," Angel said. "It's alright to cry, especially when you're sad."

"But when we cry, it makes everyone else feel worse and cry more," Margaret said.

Angel sighed and looked at his wife who had finally dosed off. He didn't want to move, but he also felt that these two children needed to be away from everyone right now. "Come on, follow me," he said as he picked up Buffy and carried her to the bedroom they were sleeping in.

He laid Buffy down on the bed and covered her up with a blanket. He and the children sat on the settee so that they could talk. "It's ok to cry when some one you love dies. Everyone downstairs, is sad because Nana died. And that is why they are crying. If you feel like crying it's ok. And it doesn't make anyone feel any worse when you cry."

"But Mama had stopped crying and then when she saw us cry, she started crying again," Louis said.

Angel sighed. He had no idea what to say to that. He just couldn't explain why Darlene had started to cry again without making the children feel any worse. He had never been a parent. So he didn't know what Darlene was feeling.

"Well, if it would make you feel better, you can come to me when you feel like crying, ok? We can go some place where no one would see you cry. Would that be ok?" He didn't tell the children that's what he did with Buffy. Buffy felt like she had to be strong one, so when she felt like she was going to break, they would come up to their temporary room and shut the door so that they could be alone and she could cry in private.

The children nodded their heads and hugged Angel as they let their own tears out.

The children never knew that Darlene had followed them up the stairs and had heard everything that was said. And Angel would never know how grateful she was to have him comfort her children when she was too wrapped up in her own grief to do so. That's why she had started to cry again. She didn't know how to comfort her own children when they needed her because she herself needed comfort. She couldn't tell them that she was in a better place, because she herself wasn't sure of that. She had never told her mother that she didn't share the same faith. She knew it would break her mother's heart and she didn't want to do that. She went down the stairs to find her husband.

* * *

The funeral and memorial service was just as they had planned it back in February. The day after the memorial service, Angel and Buffy were on the plane back to Sunnydale. They had a few extra passengers with them though. Darlene and Sam were going to take the children to his parents' for a couple of weeks, while they tried to help each through this difficult time, but Buffy offered to let them stay with them for those two weeks and when Angel agreed with her and promised to keep up their homeschooling during that time, Darlene and Sam consented. And Terri had decided to make a new life in Sunnydale.

After Angel and Buffy had gotten Louis and Margaret settled into the bed on the plane, they returned to their seats.

"I'm so glad that you decided to come home with me, Terri," Joyce was saying.

"Well, Mike doesn't know where you live, and I think it would be a great place to start over. If I can find a job and a place that I can afford, I'll be moving to Sunnydale."

"You can move in with me. I have more than enough room," Joyce told her sister.

"No, Joyce, that's your house. I want a house of my own. I have to do this on my own. I appreciate the offer though."

"What kind of job are you looking for?" Angel asked.

"Well, I'm not really sure. Any kind of job really," Terri said as she thought about it. "I worked as a cashier and sales associate in Sears when I was in high school, and in collage, I waited on tables."

"What did you go to collage for?"

Terri smiled, "I wanted to find a husband. I had no major. I just took some classes to meet boys."

Angel smiled. "Well, I know that Ashlyn's is looking for waitresses and cooks and there is room for advancement to management. And Kathy's Emporium is also looking for sales associates with room for advancement to management as well. L.A.M. Jewelry is also looking for sales positions. And if you're good with numbers, I know of a place that could use a bookkeeper. And that's a job that you can do at your home making your own hours. As long as you have it emailed by Friday morning, it doesn't matter when you do the work."

"I'll look into those. The bookkeeping one sounds like something I could do along with one of the others just until I get on my feet then maybe I could go with the one that pays the most."

"That sounds like a good idea," Angel said, knowing that the bookkeeping job would pay her what ever she needed to live on.

"Would you happen to know how I could apply for the bookkeeping job?"

"I have it at home. You could come by and pick up the paperwork."

It then dawned on Teri that Angel was offering her a job, "Angel, I appreciate the offer for a job, but I don't want a job because I'm Buffy's aunt. I want to get it all on my own."

"And you will be. First, I don't tell my managers who to hire and who to promote. They make those decisions. I just pay the bills of the businesses and then collect the profits. As far as the bookkeeping job, there's a test you will have to pass. I was going to give the bookkeeping to Buffy since she got into this class where she has to have a job, but her teacher said that she couldn't work for me and get credit for school. I'm not going to hand over the books to just anyone, Terri. It's going to have to be someone I can trust and who I know can do the work. If Buffy trusts you, and she does, then I trust you. And to see if you can do the work, there is a bookkeeping test." Angel explained his practical reasons for wanting to hire Terri.

"What's the test?"

"I give you the numbers for a few weeks and if we come up with the same numbers, then the job is yours."

"And you already have this 'test' set up?"

"All I have to do is get the print outs for the past few weeks and hand them to you."

* * *

Angel and Buffy drove into their driveway and went inside. "Well, it doesn't look like Faith held any wild parties here while we were gone," Buffy said as they walked in through the garage door.

Angel chuckled, "No, it doesn't."

"Who's Faith?" Louis asked.

"She's a friend of ours," Buffy explained.

Joyce and Terri drove up right behind Angel and Buffy and walked in behind them. "WOW, Buffy, when the kids told me that you lived in a mansion, I thought that they were exaggerating."

"The paperwork is in the library here, come on I'll get it for you, Terri," Angel said as they came to the library door and Terri followed Angel.

Buffy, Joyce and the kids walked on into the living room, where Buffy saw all of her friends waiting. "Am I missing a Scooby Meeting?"

They all looked up from the books that they were reading and saw her. Willow was the first out of her seat, "Buffy!" She grabbed her best friend into a tight hug. "If there's anything I can do…"

Buffy nodded her head to show Willow that she understood. Xander was right behind Willow and also hugged her.

Giles' eyes went from Buffy to Joyce, "If there is anything at all that I can do…"

"Thanks, Giles, of you, really, but I'm ok for right now. It's hard, but I'm fine. Just let me go get Louis and Margaret in bed and I'll be right back and we can talk, Buffy said. She turned to tell the children to follow her, "I'll be right back. Come on Louis and Margaret, I'll show you to your room."

Buffy showed them a room that was adjacent to her and Angel's bathroom. When they had bought the house, the realtor had told them that the builders had originally intended that room to be a nursery, so it was adjacent to the Master Bath which was adjacent to the Master Bedroom so that the parents could rush into the room if needed. Right now there was a set of bunkbeds in the room and Buffy's cousins were delighted to be right next to her and Angel and to sleep on bunkbeds.

"I've the top bunk!" Louis yelled out.

"That's alright, I don't like heights," Margaret said as she yawned.

"Go to sleep you two. Angel and I will be in the next room or downstairs if you need us," Buffy said as she left her cousins to get ready for bed.

* * *

Buffy walked back down to her friends and saw Angel was talking with them. "Where's Faith?"

"On patrol. No major big bad while you were gone. Just your run of the mill vampires, which Faith took care of." Xander said.

"Great. I'm glad that she was here to take care of the evil and it was nice of her to house sit for us," Buffy said relieved that she didn't abandon Sunnydale. "Uh, Giles, I have some books for you to look through. There's some stuff that needs to be translated, but most of it's in English." Buffy handed her watcher the diaries that her grandmother had passed down to her. "Apparently, my grandmother's first husband was a watcher and knew your dad. They graduated together and my grandmother and your mother were best friends before that and they kept in touch after my grandfather was put in charge of a slayer here in the US. Nana said she recognized you from pictures your mother had sent her. She figured out when she saw you that I was The Slayer."

"Fascinating," Giles said as he took the diaries from her.

"Yeah, she said that she was sorry that she didn't get a chance to let me know that she knew that I was the Slayer. She said that she had even thought that Mom could have been a potential and when I was born she thought that I was a potential as well. But she didn't want me taken away from Mom so she didn't tell anyone.

"My mom's biological father was killed by a vampire and when his slayer went after the vampire, she was killed. Nana said that she had heard that another slayer had dusted the vamp a few years later. But Mom never knew her father because of that. I think that's why Nana didn't let the Watcher's Council know about us being potentials. She didn't want Mom to be taken away from her and she didn't want me to be taken away from Mom. And Mom was never called, so there was a chance that I wouldn't be called and then me being taken away would have been all for nothing."

Buffy took a deep breath and said, "She said that she was glad that you're my watcher. She wished that she could have gotten to know you better. Your mother told her so much through the letters. She saw Angel and me train and she said that you've done a good a job in training me. She wanted me to thank you for that." Buffy blinked back tears. And then continued, "Anyway, she said that there are some prophecies in there that you need to translate. My mom's dad had translated them at one point, but she lost the translations, but she thinks that their about me. Mom doesn't know that she was a potential and she doesn't know that Nana knew that I was a potential. When Nana decided not to join the Council herself, after her husband died, she swore that she wouldn't tell her two daughters about the demon world. She thought it would be safer for them."

Buffy, looked down and softly said, "She said that she called the Council and had them mail her everything that you had already written about me. She said she would never wish this life on any of her children or grandchildren, but that she was proud of me."

Angel put his arms around his wife and gave her all the comfort that he could. "Uh, it's been a long a week, I'm going to take Buffy upstairs so that she can get some rest."

"Alright," Willow said. "Goodnight, Buffy."

"Yeah, come by tomorrow and check my homework for me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Xander looked around the room after Buffy was upstairs and asked, "So, when do we tell her that Faith got a new watcher who turned out to be evil and I helped to defeat her?"

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure how the law is when you have a victim that can't testify in person. So…. I just left it open ended. I'm not sure how quick the trial would be, so I might just have the trial on Thanksgiving Holiday. I know here we get a week off of school, so I'll do that. I don't really want to show the trail, so I'll just probably mention that it happened and give the results. Not really sure about the sentence either. Maybe by the time I write it up, I'll know more.

OK for a very serious note: I volunteer for the local organization that helps battered women. I want to say that if you are in abusive relationship and want out, please call 1-800-799-SAFE in the USA (24/7 hotline). To find a hotline in another country, please go to a computer that your abuser cannot track you on, like at the library or another public computer and go to www(dot)hotpeachpages(dot)net. It's important to know that your abuser can track where you visit on the web, so please use a public computer and make sure you are safe. If you want to volunteer and help women who are in this kind of relationship, then please find your local shelter and see what you can do to help. Sometimes, you can call the National or state hotline to find out the local shelter. I have had calls forwarded from the National Hotline to our hotline when there was someone who needed shelter. Sometimes just a caring voice on the other end of the phone can help a woman in that type of situation. Just remember that each situation is different and sometimes, it's more dangerous to leave than to stay. But you will learn that during training.


	4. Chapter 4 Band Candy

With Arms Wide Open Book 2

Chapter 4

*Band Candy* re-write

Most of this was taken from the episode *Band Candy written by Jane Espenson, Directed by Michael Lange, and transcribed by AleXander Thompson the transcript was provided by TWIZ  and Copyright © 1998 Alexander Thompson* This is clearly marked by asterisks surrounding the transcript part. Just like in the last book, I do transfer the transcript into prose form and I change all verbs into past tense. However, I might miss one or two verb tenses, please forgive me for that. I know one of my pet peeves is when people go from one verb tense to another in the narrative in the same story. Since the episode aired on Nov. 10, 1998, That is the day that this chapter will end on. So this is the month of Nov. 1998. Like I said at the end of the last chapter, I might _***mention* **_the trail with Buffy's uncle, in the next chapter. I _***might***_ do a one shot, if I get the inspiration _***and***_ the information that I need. However, if I get the inspiration _***and***_ the time I will do a one-shot about Buffy little cousins staying with her and Angel. Let me know if you are interested in something like this. In this chapter, the kids have already gone home, but I do mention them staying and some of the things that they did in passing. Like one or two sentences.

I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I got real busy in real life and I haven't had the time to work on future chapters until recently. I need to stay ahead before I post the chapter that I get back from the betas. I have sent the next chapter off to the betas now that it's ready and hopefully, I will have it up soon. But no promises, because everytime I try to promise to have it up on a regular basis, something happens and I don't get it done. I'm truly sorry and I hope I have lost any readers.

_Remember Angelus' thoughts are underlined and italicized. _

Thanks {{hugs}},

Mac

* * *

*They were in a Sunnydale cemetery at night. Buffy was sitting on a blanket with her legs covered by another one and Giles was behind a nearby gravestone. He had a book open and read from it "'And on that tragic day, an era came to its inevitable end.' That's all there is. Are you ready?"

"Hit me."

"Which of the following best expresses the theme of the passage? A) Violence breeds violence, B) All things must end, C)..."

Buffy looked down at her answer sheet and filled in a bubble with her No. 2 pencil, "'B'. I'm going with 'B'. We haven't had 'B' in forever."

Giles was exasperated, "This is the SATs, Buffy, not connect-the-dots. Please pay attention. A low score could seriously harm your chances of getting into college."

"Gee, thanks. That takes the pressure right off."

"This isn't meant to be easy, you know. It's a rite of passage."

"Well, is it too late to join a tribe where they just pierce something or cut something off?"

"Buffy, please concentrate," he instructed as he looked back at his book.

Buffy saw a vampire approach behind him, and commanded, "Roll!" She tossed her notebook and answer sheet off of her lap and scrambled out from under her blanket and to her feet.

Giles looked up, "What?" He saw her rushing toward him, instantly realized that he needed to get out of the way, and shoulder rolled onto the ground out of danger. Buffy vaulted herself over the gravestone, finishing in a roundoff to the ground, and without a moment's hesitation side kicked the advancing vampire in the stomach. He flew backward, landing hard on his back. Buffy rushed him, grabbed his legs and pushed them up, forcing him into a back roll away from her. The vampire ended up in a standing position and tried to punch her, but missed her entirely. She tried a punch, but he middle blocked her and took a swing with his free hand at her face. She ducked both it and the next punch he threw. She straightened back up and roundhouse kicked him in the side, but he kept his balance and tried to roundhouse kick her in return. She ducked it, and his momentum carried him around in a spin. He came to a stop facing her and tried to punch her in the face, but she grabbed onto his arm and blocked his next punch. He brought his free hand up again, but she smashed her forearm down to block it. Seeing an opening, Buffy took her pencil and stabbed him cleanly in the chest. She pulled it back out, and the vampire ruptured into ashes. Buffy started back to her blanket. She looked at the tip of her pencil and said, "Hmm. I broke my No. 2 pencil. We'll have to do this again sometime."

Giles extends his hand to her holding a sharpened No. 2 pencil, "C) All systems tend towards chaos."

She flipped her broken pencil at him and snatched the new one from his hand. Giles watched her old pencil fly by him and hit the ground next to him. Buffy sat back down cross-legged on her blanket and picked up her notebook and answer sheet. "I just know that us and the undead are the only people in Sunnydale working this late," she pouted at Giles and waited for him to start reading again.

* * *

Buffy, Willow and Oz were walking down the stairs to the outside quad area at Sunnydale High. "And then I was being chased by an improperly filled-in answer bubble screaming, 'none of the above!'" Buffy finished telling her friends about the dream she had the night before.

"Wow. I hope that wasn't one of your prophecy dreams." Buffy just looked at Willow. "Probably not."

"Hey, you know, I took it last year. I could help you get ready. There's this whole trick to antonyms, but... this isn't the place."

"Oz is the highest-scoring person ever to fail to graduate."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and continued to walk along the colonnade. "Isn't she cute when she's proud?" Buffy commented.

"She's always cute," Oz replied.

Cordelia and Xander came out through the breezeway and walked behind them.

Willow continued with their conversation, "We could work on it tonight."

Xander asked, "Work on what tonight?"

"Oh, God. Are we killing something again?" Cordelia groaned.

Buffy replied, "Only my carefree spirit."

"Buffy. S.A.T. Prep," Oz informed her in his usual short and to the point way.

"Oz is helping." Willow smiled proudly, "He's the highest-scoring..."

"We know. We did the impressed thing already," Cordelia interrupted.

Xander ignored Willow's frown, "I hate they make us take that thing. It's totally fascist, and personally, I think it, uh, discriminates against the uninformed."

Cordelia casually remarked, "Actually, I'm looking forward to it. I do well on standardized tests." She got surprised looks from everyone. "What? I can't have layers?"

As the group reached the cafeteria, Willow asked, "So, Buff, study tonight?"

"Uh, yes on the studying, no on tonight. I'm putting in Mom time. She's been drastic ever since* Nana died. *And Giles is even worse.* Between the two of them, I barely get to see my husband*." They turned into the cafeteria, "It's like being in the Real World house, only real."

"Hmm," Willow nodded her head in understanding.

They see a table piled up with boxes of Milkbar fund-raiser chocolate bars. Other students were each taking a box as Snyder checked their names off on his clipboard.

Willow smiled, "Ooh, candy bars! Lots of 'em!"

Snyder held out a box and Xander took the box and thought he was being good by using his manners, "Principal Snyder, thank you! You weren't visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, by any chance?"

Snyder snapped, "It's band candy."

"Let's hear it for the band, huh? Very generous," Buffy added.

Snyder corrected her, "You will sell it to raise money for the marching band. They need new uniforms."

Xander quiped, "Yeah. Those tall, fuzzy hats ain't cheap, huh?"

"But they go with everything," Oz bantered and Willow smiled at that.

"I'm sure we love the idea of going all Willy Loman, but we're not in the band," Buffy reminded the principal.

"And if I'd handed you a trombone, that would've been a problem, Summers," Snyder remarked frustrated.*

Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia all roll their eyes and corrected the little man in unison, "_MacKenzie."_

*Snyder sternly held out a box, "It's candy. Sell it." Buffy took the box and Snyder walked off leaving them all staring at their boxes.

* * *

Buffy was in the kitchen of her mother's house. Buffy, Joyce*, and Terri *were eating Chinese food for dinner at the island.

"But you're not in the band," Joyce commented.

"And yet," Buffy complained.

"Buffy, what would I do with forty chocolate bars?"

"You could hand them out at the Gallery. 'Buy something Pre-Columbian, get a free cavity.'" Buffy wisecracked.

Joyce considered, and decided it couldn't hurt to at least help, "Twenty." She then handed her daughter back the box.

"You're a good mom," Buffy set the box down.

"I'm the best."

Buffy picked up her glass, "No, I'm pretty sure the best moms let their daughters* borrow your car when mine is in the shop.*" She took a sip of her water, eyeing her mother hopefully.

"And yet," Joyce used her daughter's own terminology against her.

Buffy set down her glass, "Oh, come on!"

Joyce got up, and went to the fridge, "Look, let's not have this conversation."

Buffy pled her case, "*But my car is only in the shop to get a new stereo system put in. I haven't gotten one ticket, I'm a good driver."

"Honey, your Aunt Terri needs my car to find a house to buy and you can always use Angel's car to go school."

"You're kidding right? The man won't let _anyone_ touch his baby," Buffy rolled her eyes.

Joyce smiled, "Grown boys and their toys. I guess you're just going to have to catch the bus."

At the horrified look on Buffy's face, Terri said, "Or I could come by and pick you up and take you to school on my way in to see the realtor. I need to get some paperwork from Angel anyway and the school is on my way to the realtor's office."

Buffy softly smiled, "Thanks, Aunt Terri."

Terri hugged her niece and left the room so that her sister could have some quality time with her daughter.

*Joyce came back to her seat and sat down, "I spend enough time not knowing where you are. I want you here when you can be."

Buffy widened her eyes, "I'm here. Hmm?" she picks up her egg roll, "See me here," she took a bite, "Mm-hm?" Joyce nodded and turned back to her plate. Then Buffy, with her mouth full, said, "Mm... I gotta go." She got up and grabbed her box of candy bars.

Joyce was surprised, "What, you're* leaving already?"

*Buffy turned back toward the door, "Giles. Slay-study double feature. Could be late."

"Again? Honey, don't you think Mr. Giles is monopolizing an awful lot of your time?" Joyce asked concerned.* "When do you ever get a chance to spend time with your husband? That's important to a marriage you know."

_I know. I know, Mom. But if I were to tell you that I was going home to see my husband, you would complain that I don't spend enough time with you. If I were to tell Giles that Angel and I need some time alone, he would complain that I don't spend enough time training and slaying. _Buffy thought. But aloud she said, *"And does he ever say he's sorry?* He's been feeling like I don't need him since I train with Angel now. So got to go show him the love and that I still need him."

* * *

*In the school library, Giles tied a blindfold tightly around Buffy's head. "Ow!"

"Sorry," Giles apologized. He didn't mean to tie it too tight.

"Why do I put up with this?" Buffy asked.

"Because it is your destiny...," Giles walked around her, "and because I just bought twenty 'cocorific' candy bars." He handed her a large rubber ball.

"Okay, you're just doing this to take funny pictures of me," Buffy complained.

Giles walked around her, "I'm doing it to test your awareness of an opponent's location during a fight in total darkness. Now, wait five seconds and then throw the ball at me." He silently backtracked and took several steps away from her toward the cage.

Buffy teased, "You ran out of new training ideas about a week ago, huh? Okay. Five, four, three, two, one." She turned around and faced the door to Giles' office. He smiled, thinking she's completely clueless as to where he is. Buffy threw the ball. It hit the wall high above the checkout counter and bounced off.

Giles thinking that he won, said, "It's not that simple, is it..." The ball bumped him in the side of the head, "Ow. Ahem. Yes, well, very good."

Buffy took off the blindfold, "Thanks!" She headed out of the library.

"W-w-w-where are you going? We have to patrol!"

Buffy stopped and faced him, "I can't. Mom's in hyperdrive. She wants me* to eat with her and Aunt Terri *tonight. I told you." She started out again.

"But, I..."

Buffy stopped by the door, "I know, I know. She's out of control. Enjoy the candy!" She left making her getaway.

Giles looked at the swinging library door for a moment, considering her odd behavior.

* * *

Buffy walked toward the open door to the atrium to her home. Soon a shirtless Angel was in view, practicing the slow, elegant forms of T'ai Chi. He brought his arms down together in front of him and then over to his right. As he brought his left arm up across his abdomen, he crossed his right arm over his left. His motions remained fluid as he slowly moved his left arm out in front of him, palm up, and extended his right arm out to his side. He drew his arms together again, this time crossed his left arm over his right and repeated a mirror image of his last move. Never stopping his motion, he brought both hands to his waist, palms facing forward, and slowly raised his right arm and swept it across in front of himself, palm down, while he sweeps his left arm across below his right, palm up. Buffy walked into the doorway and stopped just to watch him.* No matter how many times she saw him do this kata, she was always *amazed at the fluidity and smoothness of his motions.* While Angel felt her presence, he ignored it thinking it was his imagination. After all, it was too early for her to be home. He *continued the exercises. He had his arms extended, his left hand angled up sharply from his forearm, and his right hand clasping the heel of his left. He brought them around in a broad sweeping motion toward Buffy and then raised them, separated them and spread them apart with his palms facing away from him. He raised his head and as he does so, he saw Buffy standing there watching him.

"Buffy."*

She looked at him hungrily, *"I didn't know you* would be doing your kata."

*He gives her the briefest glimpse of a small smile as he tried to straighten himself up from his slightly bent stance,* "Well you're not here."

_What do you mean "she's not here"? She hasn't been here since we got back from Michigan. Goes to school early in the morning and gets in well after midnight. When the kids were here, she would come pick them up and take them to the park or somewhere, come home put them to bed and go out again._

_It's not her fault that her mom and Giles have been trying to spend time with her._

_It's almost as if they are afraid that she will sink so far down into depression that she will kill herself._

_Maybe. Maybe Giles just wants her to be focused so that she doesn't do something stupid and maybe Joyce is just afraid of loosing her too soon due to the slaying._

Buffy smiled, she knew the look on Angel's face. "What are you two arguing about?"

"Nothing," Angel assured her. It was true, they were not arguing, they were discussing.

*They slowly made their way back into the mansion. There was a warm fire going in the fireplace. Angel asked, "It's* early*. How'd you get away?"

"Aw, it was easy. Started a fire in the prison laundry room. Rode out in the garbage truck."

Angel faced Buffy, not sure what to make of that, "Oh." He sat on the edge of the couch.

"I'm joking," she raised her right hand and waved it. "No garbage. Smell me."*

Angel pulled her into his arms, onto his lap, and gave her a deep kiss, "Nope, no garbage here."

*Angel leaned back on the cushions,* and looked into his wife's eyes, *"How is, uh…* your mom and Giles. They seem to want to spend a lot of time with you."

"They're fine. A little obsessive. I wish they could have 'Buffy Time' with you around. I miss you."

*"You're being careful, right?"*

"With the lies that I just told so _I_ could have some 'Angel Time?'"

*"The slaying."

"Oh." she smiled and exhaled, "Uh... Yeah. Of course." She kept nodding her head, "Full of carefulness."

Angel* gazed into her eyes, *"I worry about you* when I'm not there with you."

"And I miss you when we're not together."

"Buffy these lies you're telling are going to come back to haunt you. Don't get me wrong, I want to spend time with you and I think that they are demanding too much of your time. But you should just tell them the truth. You need to spend time alone too. You need room to breathe. They are keeping you out until after midnight and _we_ need time together."

Buffy sighed, "I know, Angel. But Giles, wants to observe me _alone_ in the field and Mom, well I think that loosing Nana has scared her that she thinks she's going to die soon and is trying to get in as much daughter-mother time as possible."

"No, I think that your mom is afraid that she's going to loose _you_ too."

The door bell rang. Angel answered it and let them inside.

Buffy saw her mother come around the corner, *and thought fast, "Hey! Uh, sorry* I ran out on dinner. *You know Giles. All slay, all the time."

Giles stepped into Buffy's view from* around the corner *with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face, "Hello, Buffy."*

Angel gave her an "I told you so" look.

*Buffy gestured into the living room, "Do you guys wanna watch some television? I hear there's a very insightful Nightline on."

Joyce was upset, "Buffy, you lied to us. And you made us into your alibis. That's... playing us against each other, and that's not fair."

"I called Willow." Giles said and Buffy was at a loss. "You also lied to her about your whereabouts. We were all concerned."

Joyce unwraped her chocolate bar and held it out to Giles to take a piece.

"Oh, thank you," he broke off a piece.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I had to..." Buffy started as she turned around and walked into the living room. Joyce followed her, and Giles was a few paces behind.

Joyce interrupted her,* "What was so more important here than spending time with your mother?"

"…And training." Giles added.

*Buffy stopped, let out an exasperated sigh, and turned to face her mother.* "My Gosh! Would you listen to yourselves? I'm married and between the two of you, I never see my _husband_ anymore!"

*Joyce chews on a piece of her chocolate bar and said condescendingly, "You're acting really immature, Buffy."

Giles who was also chewing, "I know I'm not your parent, but I am responsible for you. I think your mum's right." He sat on a couch armrest.*

Angel raised an eyebrow, but Buffy didn't give him the chance to defend her, *"Okay, fine. I'm acting like a child. Maybe that's because you're both treating me like a child."

"Buffy!" Joyce sounded hurt.

"You're both scheduling me twenty-four hours a day. Between the two of you, that's forty-eight hours." Giles took off his glasses and Buffy continued, "I just wanna be able to make a few decisions on my own."*

Angel agreed with Buffy, "Giles, I don't see why you can't train here. We turned the ball room into a training room. It's larger than the library and you have all the privacy you need. You don't need to train late at night.

"Joyce, I understand that you want to spend time with your daughter. Fine. How about super once a week with you at your house and once a week here?

"Buffy is right. Between the two of you, you see more of her than I do, and I _live_ with her. She has to leave early in the morning for school and she doesn't get back until well after midnight. I see her _maybe_ an hour before we go to sleep and that's it. "

Joyce was beside her self and replied, "Now, you're both acting like children."

Giles as he takes another bite of the candy, "And I agree."

Angel and Buffy look stunned. "We're acting like children?" Angel asked.

"_OK, Lover, you need to lay down some boundaries here. You tell them when you will see them and stick to it. I would do it for you, but you just said that you want to make the decisions."_

"OK you know, what? I'm going to sit down and make out a schedule of when each of you get to see me. And what I do when neither of you is around, is between Angel and me. And Angel is going to start to go back on patrol with me."

"Buffy, I still need to do my field evaluation," Giles countered.

"Then do it with Angel there. Cause you know what? He patrols with me 99% of the time anyway.

"My word! You are starting to act like you're afraid that Angel will replace you as my watcher!"

"Honey, that's no way, to talk to Rupert. He's only trying to help you. You need to train so you don't die."

Buffy's voice softened a little as she saw that her mother was truly afraid of her dying, "Mom, *you can't babysit me all the time. I need you to back off a little."

Giles held up his hand and interrupted Buffy, "Uh, alright, come on. Let's, let's not, uh, freak out."

Buffy was taken aback, "'Freak out'?"

"Mm-hm." Giles said as he stood up, "Uh, I think you should go to bed." He put his glasses back on, "Um, we're all tired."

Buffy just looked at the two of them as though they were crazy. She faced away for a moment and then walked off to her room. Her mother watched her go and shook her head, "Oh, she just drives me crazy!" She sighed and crumbled up the end of the candy wrapper and dropped it onto the coffee table. Giles scratched his head and stepped back over to the couch to sit. Joyce joined him, "I just want to protect her." They both sat down.

"Don't all parents want that?" Giles asked. He reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a candy bar of his own. He started to unwrap his bar.

Joyce commented, "Yeah, but at least most parents have some idea what to protect their children from."

"Yeah. And I think we should both be especially careful." He broke off a piece, stuck it into his mouth and handed the rest to Joyce.

"Mm." Joyce agreed.*

Angel watched amazed at their behavior. "Um, guys, you do realize that you just sent my _wife_ to her room and you don't even _live_ here?" When he received doubfounded looks from both of them, he sighed, "Show yourselves out." He then turned and went up the stairs to his bedroom to find his wife sitting on the window seat staring into the night, crying.

"They made me feel like a little girl. And what do I do? I come up to my room and cry."

Angel sat down behind her and pulled her against his chest, "It's alright. You're dealing with a lot. And you were trying to tell them that you need more space and they weren't listening. You need time to yourself as well."

"Yeah, and that time will be spent with you. Oh I didn't mean it like that. I'm so tired I can't think straight."

Angel smiled as he kissed the top of her head, "I know what you meant. And no, the time for you to be alone is not time with me. That's not what I meant, Buffy. Sure, I need some of your time too, but to be healthy, you need time to yourself as well. Where it's just you, alone. No one else around. Whether you read, write in your diary, exercise, train, go for a walk or drive, or just sit and think, you need time to yourself as well as make time for everyone. But you don't have to make time for everyone everyday. The only person you need to make time for everyday is me. And that's because I'm your husband."

Buffy turned her head to kiss him. "You're the only one I really want to see every day. I want to see Giles, Mom, and my friends too, but it's like you said, I need some alone time."

* * *

*The next day, Buffy and her friends were in class when a boy threw a wad of paper at another and said, "Think fast."

The target boy almost managed to catch the paper, snagged it as it's about to roll from the table and set it aside. A moment later he took it again and looked back at the boy who threw it, watching for an opening. Cordelia and Buffy were sitting at the table behind him. Cordelia sighed, "I heard that there was a secret rule that if a teacher's more than ten minutes late, we can all leave."

Buffy looked up from studying,* "Giles said that he was going to be subbing today. *He'll be here." She looked back at her book, "He's allergic to late."

Cordelia sighed, "He is wound a little tight. I had this philosophy book checked out from the library for, like, a year, and he made me pay the fine, even though it was huge." Buffy gave her a look. Cordelia smiled, "I was sad to return it. It was perfect for starting conversations with

college boys." She then let out a little laugh, "Of course, that was B.X."

"B.X.?" She got a nod from Cordelia. "Before Xander. Clever."

They both go back to their studying. Willow and Xander were at the table behind them. Xander was busy munching on a chocolate bar. The books in front of him were closed.

"I like chocolate." Willow looked at him. "There is no bad here."

Willow was surprised, "You still have some left? I went to, like, four houses, and they were gone. It's like Trick-or-Treating in reverse." She smiled at him.

"I know. These things are selling like hot cakes..." They looked at each other, "which is ironic, 'cause the hot cakes really aren't moving... And it's, fun to sell chocolate."

"And we're raising a lot of money for the band," Willow reasoned.

Xander looked back and forth between Willow and his chocolate bar a few times, then focused on his candy. Willow played with her pencil while looking at her book.

"The band. Yeah. They're great. They march," Xander commented.

Willow joked, "Like an army. E-e-except with

music instead of bullets, and... usually no one dies."

Cordelia suddenly turns to face them, "I can't believe this. Where is Giles already? I'm bored, and he's not here to give me credit for it."

Buffy looks over at the classroom door, suddenly concerned. Ms. Barton came in and clapped her hands a few times to get the students' attention, "Hey! We're all stuck here, okay? So now let's just sit quietly and," she indicated a book on the teacher's desk and smiled, "and pretend we're reading something until we're really sure that old Commandant Snyder's gone. Then we're all outta here!" the teacher smiled widely, leaving Buffy confused.

"Does anyone else wanna marry Ms. Barton?" Xander wisecracked.

"Get in line," Cordelia said.

"I guess Giles isn't coming?" Willow commented.

Buffy was very concerned, "I guess not."

* * *

Buffy walked up to Giles' apartment door and stopped. She peered in through the view port, saw Giles and went in. Giles is crouched by a cabinet where he keeps his vinyl record collection, looking at an album. Buffy came in and closed the door behind her. The sound gets Giles' attention, and he looked up, "Buffy." He slipped the record into the cabinet.

Buffy walked in, "Uh... sorry. I... I was just worried. You were a big not-there in* school, *and after your lecture to me on not ducking out..." she was confused and it showed, "and what is my mother doing here?"

Giles stepped over to Joyce, and with a mouth full of chocolate, stated, "We had an opportunity for, um, you might say, a summit meeting. It took priority over* school. *I called in."

Buffy was still confused, "Oh."

Joyce informed her daughter, "We decided that you made a good point earlier, honey." Joyce and Giles both nod.

"I did. Yeah," she was very confused now, "Which was...?"

"A-about us over-scheduling you," Joyce looked to Giles for support.

Giles came to Joyce's rescue, "Pulling you in two directions," he sat on the coffee table, "uh, your home life and your duties as a Slayer."

"Oh. That was a good point," Buffy agreed.

"We're working out a coordinated schedule for you," Joyce commented.

"It'll be tight, but, uh, I think we can fit in all your

responsibilities." Giles smiled.

Buffy gave them an uncertain smile, "Sounds nice and structured.* But I thought I said I was going to do that."

*"We've got more work to do here, honey. Why don't you give us a little more time?" Joyce said as she tried to get Buffy to leave so that she and Giles could be alone.

Giles got up and walked over to the fireplace mantel to stare at a picture. Joyce reached into her purse, pulled out her car keys and stood up, "Um... Take the car, and, um, Mr. Giles can drive me home."

Buffy was wide-eyed, smiled and shook her head, "What? Excuse me, I meant what?"

"Keys. Take them," Joyce said as she tried to hand the keys to Buffy.

"You don't have to tell _me_ twice. Well, actually, you did, but...," she snatched the keys, "bye!" She said as she rushed out.

"Bye, honey. Drive careful," Joyce said.

Buffy opened the door, "Uh-huh!" She ran out the door without looking back, pulling it closed behind her.

Joyce turns to face Giles, "Do you think she noticed anything?"

He turns to face her with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He lit his lighter, "No way!" He held the flame to his cigarette. Joyce smiled and reached down for a bottle that she had squirreled away under the end table. She twisted off the cap. Giles closed his lighter and took a drag. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and took a deep breath.

* * *

Later that night on the way to the Bronze, Willow asked, "*So, you finally talked your mother into lending you her car while yours is in the shop?"

Buffy nodded, "*I think she wanted me other where. Considering my mom and Giles are planning my future, I think it's easier for them to live my life if I'm not actually there."

Willow was still nervous, "Are, are you sure about the Bronze? I mean, the SATs are tomorrow."

Buffy* frowned she had this same argument with Angel earlier*, "I can study at the Bronze." She then smiled, "A little dancing, a little cross-multiplying."* She then pulled into a parking space and they got out of the car and went inside the Bronze.

*A guy had his head tilted back as the bartender poured orange juice and vodka directly into his mouth. His friends surrounded him and goaded him on. There was an unusual number of older people there.

Dingoes Ate My Baby was on the stage performing "Violent". The dance floor was very crowded with people of all ages. Even the older couples are dancing to the beat of the band. On stage Devon danced around to the lead-in. Just before the song began he leaned over to Oz, "Hey, they're diggin' us, man!"

Willow and Buffy looked around at the unusual mix of people in the crowd. Oz saw Willow and smiled. Willow and Buffy gave each other very amazed and concerned looks. They continue through the crowd. "Let's do the time warp again," Buffy punned.

"Maybe there's a reunion in town or, or a Billy Joel tour or something," Willow said trying to think of why all the middle aged people would be there.

Ms. Barton walked past the two girls. "Ms. Barton?" Buffy asked.

Ms. Barton stopped and faced her, "Buffy? Whoa!"

"Are you okay, Ms. Barton?" Willow asked concerned.

Ms. Barton smiled widely, "Oh, I'm cool, Willow. Willow... That's a tree." She giggled like a little girl, "You're a tree!" Willow and Buffy exchange a look. Mrs. Barton looked around, "Yeah, uh, uh, are there any nachos in here, little tree?"

"A-are you sure you don't need some fresh air, Ms. Barton?" Buffy asked also concerned for her teacher.

Ms. Barton laughed hysterically, "Okay...," she went into the crowd leaving the two girls confused and worried.

"Hey, this is not normal," Willow stated the obvious and Buffy gave her a look. "Uh, w-well, maybe that goes without saying."

Snyder spotted them from behind and came up between them. He smiled hugely, "Hey, gang!" He puts his arms around the girls' shoulders and continued, "This place is Fun City, huh?" He laughed.

"Principal Snyder?" Buffy asked astonished.

"Call me Snyder. Just a last name, like... Barbarino," he said trying to be cool. He let go of the girls and pumped his arms and fists around wildly. Willow leaned slightly away from him. "Ooh! I'm so stoked!"

Willow had no idea what to make of this. Snyder came back down from his outburst and lets out a breath, "Hey, did you see Ms. Barton? I think she's wasted. I'm gonna have to put that in her next performance review 'cause...," he smiled, "'cause I'm the principal!" He laughed and turned around and headed back into the crowd.

"I don't like this. They could have heart attacks," Willow told Buffy.

"Uh, well... ma-maybe there's a doctor here."

An older, shirtless man jumped up onto the stage, pushes Devon away from the microphone stand and yells out into the crowd, "Yeeeeaaaaaah!"

"I think that _is_ my doctor," Willow said. The man jumped from the stage expecting to be caught by the crowd, but they didn't react fast enough, and he slammed into the floor. Willow and Buffy both cringed at the sight. "He-he's usually less... topless."

Snyder stuck his head between the girls, and said proudly, "I got a commendation for being principal. From the Mayor! Shook my hand twice."

"That's nice," Buffy said offhandedly.

Snyder nodded and inhaled deeply. Two attractive women walked past them with drinks. Snyder made eyes at them. "Whoa! There are some foxy ladies here tonight!"*

"Hey that's Aunt Terri!" Buffy said.

*Snyder headed off after them. Buffy and Willow walked in the other direction.

"What's happening?" Willow asked confused and worried.

"I don't know, but it's happening to a whole lot of grownups," Buffy said.

They stopped by the stairs. Willow looked around at the crowd, "They're acting like a bunch..."

"They're acting like a bunch of us," Buffy finished for her.

Willow was confused, "I don't act like this."

* * *

The Dingoes were between sets, and Oz had joined Willow and Buffy. They all observe the crowd. "Slip Jimmy", by Every Bit of Nothing, played in the background.* Buffy had noticed her aunt with at least five different guys so far and as long as they were just dancing, she was just going to watch, but if she saw her aunt leave with one of them, then she would try to stop her.

*"Something's definitely changing them," Buffy mused.

"A spell?" Willow suggested.

"They're teenagers. It's a sobering mirror to look into, huh?" Oz observed.

Snyder walked by, saw Oz and stopped, "You've got great hair." He walked around Oz, smiling and staring at his hair. Suddenly the music stopped and a group of older men started singing "Louie Louie" up on the stage. They were off key, out of sync and basically just plain terrible, but the crowd danced to them anyway. An old nerd walked by as Buffy and Oz stared.

"It just gets more upsetting," The red headed witch commented nervously.

Several older couples on the dance floor kiss passionately. Buffy pointed to the stage and said, "No vampire has ever been _that_ scary.* And hey that's Aunt Terri sucking face with some stranger!"

Oz put a hand on Buffy's arm, "Just leave her alone right now. She's not in any danger."

*Behind them a man staggered through the crowd, drunk and munching on a chocolate bar. He bumped into another man. They face each other and begin to pick a fight. Someone yelled out, "Fight!"

Snyder turned to face the group, smiling and nodding his head vigorously, "Fight!"

Willow let out a helpless sigh. Buffy started to head out, "We've gotta figure out what's going on. This has Hellmouth fingerprints all over it."

Willow and Oz follow her. She stopped by a pinball machine where she saw a woman hold out a candy bar to her boyfriend. He took a huge bite while he keept playing the game. Their pause gives Snyder a chance to catch up after noticing they were leaving. "Hey, where are we going?" he asked. The four of them left the club. The three teenagers rushed out and headed for Joyce's car. Snyder is still inside, "Wait up, you guys!" he emerged out the door. "Hey! You guys aren't trying to ditch me, are ya?" Buffy, Willow and Oz get into the Jeep. Snyder followed them.

"We should find Giles. He'll know what's going on, right?"

Snyder ran up to the passenger side of the car, and seeing the places are taken, he went around to the driver's side.

"Sure. Except for all we know, he's sweet sixteen again," Buffy said as she pulled on her seat belt.

"He's with your mom at his place," Willow reminded her.

Buffy started the car. Snyder opened the door behind her and got in. "I said, wait up!" he said as he slammed the door.

"Uh, Snyder..." Oz started to say.

"No time. He's coming with us," Buffy said. She put the car in gear and slammed on the gas, burning some rubber in her hurry to get going.

"Whoa, Summers! You drive like a spaz!"* Buffy rolled her eyes but doesn't correct him this time.

*"It'll be okay when we get to Giles'," Willow said and no one knew who she was trying to convince herself or the others.

Oz was confused, "Of course, I mean, even if he's sixteen, he's still Giles, right? He's probably a pretty together guy."

Willow was worried, "Yeah, well..."

"What?"

Buffy explained, "Giles at sixteen? Less Together Guy, more Bad-Magic-Hates-The-World-Ticking-Time-Bomb Guy."

"Well, then I guess your mom's in a lotta trouble."

Snyder raises his eyebrows and nods.*

She just got on her cell phone, "Angel, there is something weird going on here. All the adults are acting like their 16 again … Well I'm going to try to find Giles and hopefully, he's normal, but if he's _not_ I may need your help and my mom is with him right now … That sounds good, try to find out what's going on through the underground and try Willy too. He may know something…"

*Snyder suggested, "This is great! Let's do doughnuts in the football field, huh?" *

"Would you hush? I'm on the phone to my husband!" Buffy yelled out as she *headed into the intersection. Another Jeep comes in the other direction. Buffy had the green light and she didn't see the other car since she was looking in the rear view mirror at Snyder who was in the backseat.

Willow yelled, "Oh, my God, look out!"

They all tensed up for the impact. The other Jeep hit them hard on the left rear door and back panel, making them spin around a quarter turn.*

"Buffy? Mo Grá?" Angel asked panicked. He had heard the impact and Willow's warning.

Buffy looked around and everyone was ok, and she breathed into the phone, "I'm ok…I'm ok… eveyone's ok…"

"What happened?"

"Some one just ran a red light and hit us and then left. They didn't stop, Angel."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Is anyone else hurt?"

*"Are you guys okay?

Snyder nodded.

Willow asked, "Is anybody else all creeped out and trembly?"*

"We're a little shook up, but not hurt.

"Ok then don't worry about it. We'll pay for the damage to your mother's car. Take a few moments to calm down and then just go find your mother and Giles. And be careful."

"Ok." Buffy said.

"Buffy, Tá mé chomh doirte sin duit,"

"Tá mé chomh doirte sin duit, Angel."

* * *

After inspecting the damage to the car, the three teenagers looked *off to the side and they saw three men sitting in the playground, laughing and smoking.

"Oh, Buffy..." Snyder said as he rubbed his shoulder, "Your mom's gonna kill you."

Buffy looked at the other side of the street and saw five guys hanging out by a tree, "Something's weird."

"Something's not?" Oz asked since it was obvious.

"No grownups," Buffy explained. Two women strutted past the men by the tree, munching on chocolate. The guys give them catcalls. Snyder started to unwrap a bar of his own. "No one's protecting their houses. Everyone's just... wandering."

A man ran up behind Snyder, grabbed his chocolate bar and ran off with it, "Hey!" Willow and Oz stared at the man as he ran away. "Hey, give it!" Snyder yelled as he went after the man.

"Defenseless."

"So where are all the vampires?" They all consider this strange dilemma. "Soup's on, but no one's grabbing a spoon."

"Something's happening... someplace that's else," Oz stated.

"I'd say something big," Buffy said trying to listen to her slayer senses to figure it out.

Snyder returned upset, "That guy took my candy!"

Buffy suddenly got it, and gave Willow and Oz an astonished look, "The candy. I-it's gotta be the candy! It's cursed."

Willow and Oz exchange a look. Snyder was worried, "A curse? Oh, I've got a curse."

Willow used God's name as an expletive, "Using candy for evil!"

"My parents ate a ton," Oz said.

Buffy looked at Snyder and jumped at him, pushing him up against the Jeep, "Who's behind it?"

Snyder was confused, "I don't know. It came through the school board." He shook his head, "If you knew that crowd..."

Buffy was losing her patience, "Where did it come from? Do you know where to get it?"

"Yeah."

Buffy looked to Willow and Oz, "You guys get Xander and Cordelia. Go to the library and look it up."

"Candy curses?"

"Disturbing second childhood. Got it," Willow stated. She took Oz's hand, and they started on their way.

Buffy said to Snyder, "Ratboy and I are going to the source," She shoved him toward the passenger door.

* * *

At the loading dock behind the Milkbar factory, two men had cases of chocolate open and were throwing them out into a crowd, which was getting larger and rowdier by the minute. Giles and Joyce are there in the crowd but were into some serious kissage just as Buffy pulled into a screeching halt. She and Snyder got out and marched over to the crowd. Just as she passed her mother and Watcher, Buffy stops in her tracks. She turns to face them, "Mom? Giles?"

Giles not skipping a beat, "Go away. We're busy."

"Mom!" she pulls her mother away from her Watcher.

"Hey!" Joyce yelled.

Buffy shocked, "Where did you get that coat? Never mind. Listen..."

Giles grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, "Back off!"

"Giles, think about this. You wanna fight me, or you wanna let me talk to my mother?" Buffy asked sternly.

Giles realized he wouldn't have a chance against her and backed down, yanking his hand from her and up to the side of his face, where he grabbed a cigarette from behind his ear. Buffy turned back to her mother as Giles put the cigarette into his mouth and reached into his pocket for his

lighter.

"Mom, look at me. Do you know who I am?"

Giles lights his smoke.

Joyce smiled, "Of course. You're Buffy." She looked over at the crowd, "Hey, look. They're, they're giving away candy. You want some candy?"

"No, I don't! And you don't need any more, either."

Joyce was now very annoyed, "I'm fine. I can have more if I want."

"You are _not_ fine. You need to go home."

Joyce was angry now, "Screw you. I want candy!"

"Mom!"

"You wanna slay stuff, and _I'm_ not allowed to do anything about it.* You wanted to get married and because I thought that maybe Angel would keep you alive longer I let you get married! *Well, this is what _I_ wanna do, so get off my back!"

"Mom, please, this is..."

Giles reached for Joyce, took God's name in vain, and pulled her away, "Just let your mum have the sodding candy. C'mon, Joyce..."

Buffy holds her mother back and points at her black Jeep Cherokee, "Mom, look at your car. Look at that dent the size of New Brunswick. I did that."

Joyce can't believe her eyes. Behind her Giles takes a drag on his cigarette. Joyce was grossed out and it was her turn to use the Lord's name as a curse word, "What was I thinking when I bought the _Geek_ Machine?"

Giles busted up laughing. Buffy couldn't believe her response. She gave up and stepped over to Giles, "Listen to me. You need..."

Giles interrupted her, "No, you listen to me." He pointed at her, "I'm your Watcher, so you do what I tell you." He then pointed at the Jeep, "Now, sod off!"

Buffy grabbed the cigarette from his mouth, threw it down and stomped it out and sternly ordered her Watcher, "Take her home." She headed for the crowd.

Giles grabbed Joyce's hand and started after her, "Joyce..."

Buffy pushed her way through the crowd toward the loading dock. She stepped up on a crate and dispatched one of the men tossing candy to the crowd by punching him in the back of the knee. He crumpled and fell off of the end of the dock. Buffy log rolled onto the platform and flipped up to her feet. The other man threw away the box of candy bars he just grabbed, and Buffy ducked, thinking that it's being thrown at her. The man tried to punch her, but she punched him in the side and then backhanded punched him in the face, following up with two more punches to the gut and the face. She ducked his attempt at a punch and roundhouse kicked him in the back, knocking him into the factory wall. She grabbed onto his shirt, spun halfway around and launched him off of the dock and into the air toward another wall. He hit it hard and slid to the pavement. She saw Giles and her mother at the base of the dock stuffing chocolate bars into their pockets, and went over to them, "Mom!" She grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up.

"Hey!" Joyce cried out.

Giles looked up, "Oy! You leave her alone!"

Buffy kicked in the door to the factory as Giles hopped up onto the dock. He followed Buffy and Joyce into the building. In the crowd Snyder saw them go. "Hey, Brit-face! Wait up!" He scrambled to join them.

* * *

Inside, Buffy pulled her mother into the shipping area and let go of her, "Stay."

The place was piled to the ceiling with cases of Milkbars. Buffy looked around to see what she could find. Across the room from the conveyor where the boxes were sealed, she saw a man on a phone, listening. He's there alone. Giles and Snyder come into the shipping area behind her.

"It smells so chocolatey," Snyder said.

As Buffy approached the man on the phone, Giles said, "This is far out."

The man started talking into the phone, "Yeah, I've been out there. Town's wide open. You guys can go anytime."

Buffy immediately recognized the voice and crossed her arms as she closed the distance between them, "Ethan Rayne."

He turned to face her, and his eyes go wide with surprise. Upon hearing the name, Giles approached him also. Joyce was close behind. Together the three of them make an imposing sight.

Ethan, into the phone, nervously, "Might wanna hurry."

"Ethan," Giles growled.

"Ripper," Ethan countered.

He wasted no time breaking into a fast run. Buffy and Giles gave immediate chase. Ethan ran under the inclined end of the conveyor and pulled a rack behind him to block their way, but the two of them just jumped over the low end of it instead and continued the chase.

Ethan ran through the maze of cases of candy bars. He reached the end of an aisle and turned left. Buffy and Giles rushed to keep up. They made several twists and turns, and finally Buffy came around a corner to discover that she's lost him. Behind her, Giles stopped running, too, and breathed heavily to catch his breath.

"Where... Bloody Hell!" Giles gasped.

Buffy quipped, "That's what smoking will do to you. Now be quiet."

"Well... Where'd the bastard go?" Giles asked.

Buffy was annoyed, "Shh!"

She looked around and listened carefully. She went around a corner and stopped.

"What?" Giles asked.

Buffy pretended to go on, but then suddenly did a half-spinning hook kick into a crate. She yanked away a chunk of wood, reached in and pulled Ethan's head out.

"Look. A box full of farm-fresh chicken," she retorted.

Ethan gave her a nervous smile, but it quickly faded.

Snyder and Joyce were sitting on the conveyor. They were both munching on chocolate bars. Joyce asked, "Do you suppose they're okay?"

Snyder was chewing and mumbled, "Mm-hm. So... are you two kinda... like, um... goin' steady?"

Joyce rolled her eyes, sighed and hopped down from the conveyor to get away from him. Snyder watched her go, stuck another piece of chocolate into his mouth and let out a deep sigh.

"So, Ethan, what are we playing? We're pretty much in a talk-or-bleed situation. Your call," Buffy informed her prisioner.

"Hit him," Giles said excitedly.

Buffy glared at him for an instant, then looked back at Ethan.

"I-I'd just like to point out that this wasn't my idea," Ethan said.

Giles paced behind Buffy as she asked, "Meaning...?"

"I'm subcontracting. It's Trick you want. I'm just helping him collect a tribute... for a demon."

"He's lying. Hit him!" Giles said wanting to see Buffy hit his old friend.

"I don't think he is, and shut up," Buffy told her mentor.

Giles excitedly informed her, "You're _my_ Slayer," he then pointed at Ethan, "go knock his teeth down his thr..."

Buffy interrupted, "Giles!"

He turned away from her and continued pacing.

Buffy turned back to Ethan, "What demon?"

"I don't remember."

Buffy punched him solidly in the nose. He stumbled back against the broken crate. Giles jumped and swung his fist through the air and smiled, "Yes!" Buffy gave Giles a glaring look and he lost his smile.

Ethan suddenly "remembered", "Lurconis. Demon named Lurconis. They wanted a way to get the tribute away from people."

"So you're just Diversion Guy?" Buffy continued with her interrogation.

Ethan continued to answer her, "More than a diversion. Well, they said the tribute was big, so big that people would never let them take it. That people had to be out-of-it. And later on, when the candy wore off, they'd blame themselves."

Buffy sighed, "Hence, land of the irresponsible. So, where's Trick?"

"I don't know exactly."

"Hit him again," Giles commanded.

Buffy held up her fist and gave Ethan a threatening look, he warded her off with his hand, "No! I-I-I really don't know. Delivering the tribute."

Buffy stepped closer, "Which brings us to the bonus question, and believe me when I say a wrong answer will cost you _all_ your points." Behind her, Giles leapt up joyously with a huge smile on his face, anticipating a good fight. She asked, "What's the tribute?"

Ethan* either didn't know what the tribute was or he refused to give the answer so he *was leaning against a table while Snyder crouched nearby, keeping an eye on him, while Buff was on the phone with Willow at the library, "Right. Lurconis."

Willow repeated to the others, "Lurconis. A demon. What's his deal?"

"See if it says anything about a tribute."

Willow asked Buffy, "A tribute? Like what?"

"I don't know," Buffy looked at Ethan, "My source is all tapped out."

Snyder just had to open his mouth to Ethan, "She whupped you good, huh?" He threw two punches, "Yah! Wah!" He stood up proudly, "I can do that. I took Tae Kwon Do at the Y." He proceeded to do a demonstration of a series of kicks and punches, grunting with each one as he advanced toward Joyce, trying to impress her. She just rolled her eyes, looked away and sighed, unimpressed. Snyder realized it didn't work and leaned against the wall. Joyce blew a bubble with her gum.

Buffy continued to talk into the phone, "No, no. It's definitely a demon. A big one."

Ethan spied a crowbar on the table, and being unguarded now, reached for it and began to advance toward Buffy. Giles noticed his advance. He pulled back the hammer on his stolen Beretta and pointed it at Ethan's neck, "I wouldn't."

Ethan stopped cold in his tracks. Buffy turned around and swung the telephone receiver hard into Ethan's chin. He spuns down to the floor, dropping the crowbar. Giles aimed the gun at the back of Ethan's head, execution style. Buffy handed the phone to her mother and walked over to Giles, "Giles, give me the gun." She held out her hand. He just stared at Buffy and didn't give in. Buffy stared back "Giles..." He kept the gun aimed right where it was as Joyce talked into the phone. Buffy sternly insisted, "Now." After another moment Giles reluctantly gave up his weapon. Buffy stuffed it into the back of her pants.

Joyce held the phone out to Buffy, "Uh, it's, um, it's Willow. She wants you real bad."

Buffy took the phone, "Uh-huh?"

Willow told her, "Okay, Oz just found it. 'The tribute to Lurconis is made every thirty years.' I-it's a ritual feeding. A-and this one's late, so it's probably, you know, a big meal. Oh…" she read to herself "And... Oh. Lurconis eats babies." She recoiled as the information sank in.*

"Call Angel and tell him!" *Buffy immediately hung up and started to go. "Come on." She took her mother's hand.

"Well, what about that man?" Joyce asked.

Buffy turned to see Giles holding the crowbar over Ethan, who was still on the floor, "Uh, see if you guys can find something to tie him up with."

"Um..." she reached behind her and pulled out a set of handcuffs, dangling them from her thumb and giving her daughter a sheepish but mischievous look.

"_Never_ tell me," Buffy both commanded and begged as she grabbed the cuffs and headed over to Ethan. Joyce followed her with her gaze and smiled.

At the maternity ward at Sunnydale General, Buffy held an identification wristband left behind in one of the empty cribs.

The nurse was telling Giles, "I didn't see anything. I don't _know_ where they are."

Joyce, sad and worried, said, "Something's gonna eat those babies?"

Nurse asked, "What can _I_ do?"

Snyder shook his head and said, "I think that is so wrong."

Nurse was getting tired of Giles and said, "Get off my back about it!" She stalked off shaking her head.

Giles came into the room, "She says she never saw who took them. Dozy cow."

"I _know_ who took them," Buffy said.

Giles said, "Well, then let's do something. Let's find the demon and, and... kick the crap out of it."

"Is that what happens now?" Snyder asked.

Buffy confirmed, "Yeah, if we knew where they were." She paced.*

Angel came in quoting *a passage from a book "'Lurconis dwells beneath the city, filth to filth.'"

Buffy stopped pacing, "What?"

Giles* having his memory triggered, *faced Buffy and tried to remember more, "Ooo! I know this. Uh... I knew this. 'Lurconis' means..."*

As he thinks, Angel continues not giving him the chance to remember since they were in a hurry, *"'glutton'. And we'll find it, in the sewers."

"The sewers?" Joyce asked and went to Giles for a hug.

Snyder said, "Uh, good. You go do that thing with the demon, and I'll stay here in case the babies, you know, uh... find their way back."*

What is the damn troll doing here? Angel heard Angelus ask inside his head.

I have no idea and we will be asking Buffy about it later, Angel answered back.

*Joyce let go of Giles and sadly said, "The babies must be so scared."

Giles turned to Snyder, "You filthy little ponce." He stepped toward Snyder and challenged, "Are you afraid of a little demon?"

Snyder answered and shoved Giles, "If you want to splash around in the poo, you're the filthy one!"

Giles shoved him back. Buffy got between them, very annoyed and said, "Okay, you know what? Everybody just stop it!" She turned to Snyder, "Okay, listen to me." She turned to Giles, "I need help, okay? Giles, I need grownups. I cannot stand here and babysit you!" Snyder and Giles continued trying to stare each other down. "These children are gonna die if we don't act now, okay, and think clearly. There is no room for mistakes. Besides which... you guys are just wigging me out."

Snyder gave in and looked away. Giles gave him one last stare, and then stepped back over to Joyce. "Sorry," he told Buffy.

"We'll behave," her mother promised. Giles and Joyce hugged again.

"Good." Buffy turned to Snyder, "Snyder, go home."

"I can do that," he said and left.

Buffy turned to face Giles, "Giles, we're going to the sewers." She saw him kissing her mother, and she cringed, "And don't do that!" She said as she stalked out of the room. They break off their kiss and reluctantly follow her.*

Angel caught up with her, "I knew you said it was bad, but I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw your mother and Giles. And what was Snyder doing here?"

"Oh he's been following me around all night. If he was anything like he was tonight when he was in high school, not even the losers would have been his friends.

Let's just go kill this thing and get these babies back to where they are supposed to be."

* * *

*Suddenly, Buffy* and Angel *drop down from above through a manhole. The Mayor turned his head to face her.

"Hi," Buffy said. She* and Angel *moved to start* their *attack. Behind* them *Giles climbed down a few rungs of the ladder and dropped down the rest of the way. The robed vampires quickly moved to attack them. Mayor Wilkins made a hasty retreat, Buffy,* Angel, *Giles, nor Joyce even noticed that the mayor was there.

The first vampire swung wildly at Buffy, but she ducked him, and his momentum carried him past her. She roundhouse kicked the second one, turned back to the first one, and shoved him away from her. He smashed into the ladder. Turning back to the second one, Buffy delivered another roundhouse kick. The first one tried to kick her from behind, but she middle blocked him and roundhouse kicked him in the side.

Giles and Joyce ran over to the table with the babies and wheeled it away. The Mayor makes his escape down the tunnels.

The third vampire did a jumping roundhouse kick, which Buffy easily ducked. The second lunged at her, but she jumped into the air between them and landed behind them. The third one threw a punch at her, which she quickly middle blocked. The second one swung at her, and she ducked it and punched him in the face. She punched the third one in the face, did a half spin and hit the second one in the face with a backhanded punch. He staggered backward into Trick.* Angel, who was fighting vampires as well, threw his wife a stake.

*Giles and Joyce got the babies to a safe distance, where Giles left them and went back to the fight. Trick shoved the second vampire off of him, who then stumbled toward Giles. Giles clumsily front snap kicked him in the face, and he went flying right back into Trick. The first vampire tried to attack Buffy again, but she cleanly staked him, and he burst into ashes. She immediately took a step to her side, back middle blocked the third one as he tried to grabbed her from behind and staked him. He began to fall to his knees and exploded into ashes. The second vampire was up again and ready to attack. Buffy side kicked him, and he flew backward onto the rim of the pool and

back rolled into the water. Suddenly, they all hear a deep rumbling. The vampire tried to get up out of the water. They kept listening to the rumbling as it got louder. The vampire climbed onto a pedestal in the middle of the pool.

"What the hell's that?" Giles asked.

The vampire got to his knees. Just then a huge demon snake appears through another tunnel by the water. It sees the vampire on the pedestal, engulfs him and retreats back into the tunnel.

"Lurconis, I'm thinking," Buffy said.*

"Yes, that was Lurconis," Angel said as he still fought with a vampire.

*Trick told The Slayer, "Ordinarily, I like other people to do my fighting for me, but I just gotta see what you got."

"Just tell me when it hurts," Buffy said as she started to advance on him. Giles rushes past her and pushes her back. "Giles! No!"

He threw a solid left to Trick's face, but he wasn't fazed. He grabbed Giles by the shirt and threw him into the pool. Trick made a dash for it. Giles started to climb out of the water at the rim of the pool. The rumbling started again, quicker this time. Buffy looked around frantically

for a way to stop the demon. She spied a gas pipe above her, and leaped up to grab it. It broke under her weight, and gas began to hiss out of it.* Angel helped *Giles out of the water now and rolled over the rim of the pool and down to the floor. Buffy angled the gas pipe into one of the torches, and it burst into flames. She aimed it at Lurconis, and the snake demon reared back and screamed in pain. Joyce watched in terror. Buffy waves the pipe around until Lurconis is engulfed in flames. She pushed the gas pipe aside as the demon retreated back into its tunnel, screaming. Above her Trick smiled down through the open manhole, "You and me, girl." Buffy spun to face him. "There's hard times ahead." He got up and made himself scarce.

Buffy exhaled, "They never just leave. Always gotta say something."*

Angel nodded in agreement.

*Joyce came out of the shadows and over to Buffy, "Can we go home now?"

Giles got up, soaked to the skin.

Buffy said, "Yeah, we can go home. I've got the SATs tomorrow."

"Oh, blow them off. I'll write you a note," Joyce said as she went back to the babies.

"No. It's okay," Buffy joined her mom.

"Poor babies. Come on...," Joyce said.*

Angel and *Giles went over to help as well.*

* * *

"Well, the babies are back at the hospital and they are giving them back to their parents now," Angel said.

"That's good," Buffy yawned.

Angel smiled, "Go to sleep. I'll wake you up in time to take you to your tests."

"Thanks, sweety," Buffy said right before she passed out.

* * *

*The following Monday at Sunnydale High, Giles and Buffy walked toward the street.

"It was just too much to deal with. It was like nothing made sense anymore. The things that I thought I understood were gone. I just felt... so alone," Buffy told her mentor.

"Was that the math or the verbal?"

"Mostly the math."

"Well, if you scored low, then you can take them again."

Buffy sighed, "More S.A.T.s? Is there really a point? I could die before I even apply to college."

The brakes of Joyce's Jeep squealed as she pulled to a stop at the curb. Giles and Buffy took the steps down to the sidewalk. "And then, you very possibly might not."

"Well, let's just keep hope alive," Buffy said.

Joyce got out, closed her door and walked up onto the curb.

Giles smiled awkwardly, "Hello."

Joyce shyly said, "Hi."

Giles saw the dent, "I say, your car seems to have had an adventure, doesn't it?"

They all looked at the severely dented rear door and back panel.

"Uh, Buffy assures me that it happened battling evil, and that it was someone else's fault.* And Angel wrote a check for it to be fixed. I just get to borrow Buffy's car while this one is in the shop," *Joyce said.

Buffy tried to get the attention off of her, "Uh, hey, the way things were going," she pointed at the dent and continued, "be glad that's the worst that happened. At least I got to the two of you before you actually _did_ something."

She walked around to the passenger's side to get in. Giles and Joyce both looked at the pavement, embarrassed and not willing even to go there, but knowing that they did.

"Right," Joyce said.

"Indeed," Giles replied.

"Y-yes," Joyce said as she looked up and their eyes, met for a brief moment. They both quickly pivoted and headed off in opposite directions. *

* * *

Joyce stood at Rupert's door. She was nervous. It had been almost a week since she had seen him. Almost week since they unknowingly ate cursed candy. As a result of that candy, they both did something that they could potentially regret. She had to talk to him. But at the same time she had been avoiding him. Now she was ready to talk to him. No, that wasn't true. She wasn't ready and didn't know if she ever would be ready. But it had to be done so here she was. She knocked on the door.

Giles was expecting Angel. Buffy and Faith were patrolling tonight and Angel and Giles were going to be translating one of the prophecies that Buffy's grandmother had given to her. He knew that Angel wasn't particularly happy having to spend time away from his wife, but Angel also knew the importance of translating these prophecies.

Giles answered the door quickly and was surprised to see Joyce standing there, "Joyce."

"Rupert. I .. uh….I think we need to talk," Giles looked at her. "About last weekend."

"Oh yes, yes, uh, come on in," Giles said as he stepped back to allow Joyce to enter.

"So umm…about last weekend…," Joyce began as she walked into the condo.

"Yes, I've been meaning to get in touch with you, but I kind of got busy. That's one thing about me that I hope that you'll learn. When I'm researching something, I loose train of thought and forget everything else. Especially if it has something to do with Slaying," Giles interrupted.

"Oh. I see."

Giles didn't give her a chance to go on, he was nervous as it was and he didn't want to back out of it now, "Joyce, I was wondering if maybe you would like to come over and have dinner with me Friday night?"

Joyce was stunned. This is not what she had expected. It was what she was hoping, but not what she expected. "Sure. What time?"

"Would 7:00 be convenient for you?"

"Sure. I'll be here at seven on Friday night then."

"I'm expecting Angel to come by and help me translate this prophecy. If you wish you could stick around, but unless you speak Romanian fluently…"

"No, that's ok. I'd better go, I have some work to do of my own for the gallery."

"OK," Giles said as he pulled Joyce into his arms and kissed her. "I'll see you Friday night then."

"Yes, see you Friday night," Joyce said as she backed out of the condo and then turned and walked to her car.

* * *

Faith had just let Buffy in her motel room when another knock came at the door. The motel manager was there wanting the rent for the room. Faith took out the last bit of cash she had and gave it to the man and he turned and left.

"You know, Faith, Angel and I live in this huge mansion. It's really too much for just the two of us. You could save on rent if you moved in."

Faith was touched by Buffy's offer and said, "Gee, Thanks, B. But I've got it covered. 'Sides, I like to live alone."

"Well we do have this whole third floor that we don't even use. It would be like living by yourself."

"Really? And what does your hubby have to say about it?"

"I don't think he'll mind," Buffy smiled. _After all it was his idea. _After Faith was no where to be found last weekend during the Band Candy Chaos, Angel was worried that she would be missing in another emergency and felt like if she was living with them, then they would know where she was. Or they were _more likely_ to know where she was anyway.

"I'll think about it," Faith said and they left for their patrol.

"It could be like we were sisters, you know?" Buffy said trying to convince her.

"I've never had a sister before," Faith mused.

"Neither have I."

"Could be fun. I tell you what, I'll try it. If I don't like, I could always move out, huh?" Faith said after realizing she really didn't know where she was going to get next week's rent from.

"Sure," Buffy smiled.

* * *

After patrol, they went back to the mansion and Angel was waiting for Buffy in the living room.

"Hi! We have a roomie," Buffy said. "She wants to use the third floor, so we're going to go up and she's going to pick out her room and all."

"Ok. I'll go with you," Angel was relieved. He wasn't sure how Faith would take the offer. He was glad that she took them up on it. She really didn't need to be living out of a motel anyway. The council should've done something about that months ago.

"Faith, I know you don't go to school, but if you would like, I could teach you here and have you ready to take the GED test by the time Buffy graduates in the Spring." Faith looked at Angel with a blank look on her face. "That is if you want. It's not a stipulation of you moving in here. Just an offer."

Faith was stunned. Here she was a nobody who just happened to have the same strength and abilities to fight vamps and other demons as Buffy. And here they were, taking her in and being nice to her. Giving her a place to live **and** offering to give her an education. She only stopped going to school because that was the thing that everyone did back home. "Uh… Sure. We could try it," she finally replied trying to sound like she didn't care one way or the other. Even though she had never had a real family in her life, she let herself believe that maybe she could have a family, a brother and sister in Buffy and Angel.

After Faith picked out the master bedroom on the third floor, Angel and Buffy helped her to move her things in the mansion. Angel also told them about the prophecy that he and Giles had just translated.

* * *

The next day at school, Faith cornered, Willow, "Hey, Red, you gotta help me out here."

"What is it, Faith?"

"I need you to go to the mansion and magically sound proof every single room. Not so much as a true sound proof, just a sound proof so that I won't know when the love birds are …"

"Oh right," Willow interrupted. "I'll look for a spell today and come out right after school and do it for you," she blushed realizing how that sounded, "the spell I mean."

Faith nodded, "Thanks, Red. I'll owe you a _million_."

* * *

A/N: So help me out here, what was the prophecy that Angel and Giles translated? I have no idea. I need some ideas. I want it to be a good prophecy. Do any of my readers have any ideas? Tell me in your review, or if you think of one later just Message me or email me by taking the spaces out: LadyMacKenzie gmail. com.

Irish Gaelic to English Translation:

_Tá mé chomh doirte sin duit _= _I love you so much_

_Mo Grá_ = _My Love_

_I also need another beta if anyone is interested. First come first serve.  
_


	5. Chapter 5 Amends

WAWO Book 2

Chapter 5

Amends Re-write: Angel and Buffy dream of Season 2 as it happened on the show and other things.

A/N: This is my own version of Amends. I'm using the First and Angel's nightmares, but I'm not looking at the transcript while doing it, so if it seems familiar, it came from the show, if it doesn't, then it's something that I made up. If it seems familiar but not quite right, it's probably me remembering wrong or me twisting it up a bit. LOL

Real 2 Me wrote some of the scenes this chapter. The scenes are surrounded by #.

* * *

Giles walked into his office to see Buffy had fallen asleep at his desk again. She had been falling asleep at his desk everyday this week. He sighed. He knew that the trail with her uncle was tiring, but both Angel and Buffy said that it went good. Her uncle was behind bars and he would be for a long time. This was something else. He could just feel it in his bones. Something was going on. He gently shook her shoulder to wake her up, "Buffy, you need to wake up."

"Huh?" Buffy lifted her head and it felt so heavy that she almost laid it back on the desk. She struggled to open her eyes. When they were finally open, she saw Giles looking concerned at her.

"Buffy, what's wrong? You've fallen asleep doing your work every day this week."

"Nightmares," was all Buffy said.

"Buffy, I need to know when you have these nightmares, it could mean something."

Buffy shook her head no, "No, not me. Angel. He's getting visited by Ghost of Christmas Past but the dreams are not just about Christmas past just past so I guess it's the Ghost of Past. And I'm having them too. We're sharing dreams. Well, he's sharing his nightmares. He doesn't mean to. It just happens. I'm there in his nightmares."

Giles sighed, "Has this happened before?" Buffy shook her head no. "Maybe it has something to do with the Bond, but maybe not. Tell me about these dreams, maybe I can figure out if they mean anything."

Buffy blushed, "Can't. Too personal."

Giles looked at the floor and back at his charge, "Buffy, I understand if they are personal, you don't have to go into personal detail, just a general idea is all."

Buffy realized that Giles had misunderstood her, "No I mean there all about his past. Both as human and before he got his soul. Every bad or evil thing he did, we're living it at night when we sleep. And I mean _every_ bad or evil thing he did. From skipping out on his chores as a kid so that he and his friends could go swimming to violating Holy Ground before he got his soul back. It's like he's feeling guilty for _every_ bad thing he did since he's been born."

"Hum…why don't we start to look into it then?" Giles saw how tired Buffy was and then amended his statement, "Why don't you go on home and get some rest and I'll start to look into it here. On second thought, I'm afraid you will fall asleep at the wheel, take a nap in here on the sofa. When you feel rested enough to drive, then go on home." He then walked out of his office and went to get a few books to start his research.

_Buffy was in a field over looking the water. She turned and saw two little boys and a little girl riding horses. The kids seemed to be no more than 12 years old and it looked as though as they were racing. They all crossed an unseen finish line together laughing the whole time. _

"_One of these days, I'm going to beat you both!" the girl said in a thick Irish accent._

"_No, you won't, Elizabeth. Everyone knows that boys are better," one of the boys replied._

"_Oh stop it, both of you! Devlin, you need to be nicer to Elizabeth," the other boy scolded._

"_Why, Liam?"_

"_Because, your parents and her parents might decide that you are a good match and then she will be your wife and could make your life Hell." Both of the other children's eyes got real wide and Liam realized what he said. He looked down at the ground and back up at his friends, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to curse where you could hear it."_

"_It's alright, Liam," Elizabeth smiled softly. "I've heard worse from my father," Elizabeth leaned in to give Liam a kiss on the cheek and little Liam's face turned into a vampire's face, Elizabeth turned into Buffy, and then he drained her. Buffy saw a person with no eyes and in monk or priest's robs standing behind little Liam._

Buffy woke up panting. They always ended the same. It didn't matter how old Angel was when did something that he felt guilty about, he would always turn into a vamp and kill the person he thought he had hurt or offended just as the person turned vanished, and it was Buffy that he was draining. And the no eyed priest would show up behind Angel as he drained his victim.

Buffy looked around and saw that she was still in Giles' office and she had only slept for an hour. But at least she felt like she was awake enough to drive home.

* * *

Buffy walked into her bedroom and saw her husband on the bed asleep. She didn't want to wake him, so she went back downstairs to do her homework. She assumed that Faith was upstairs in her third floor apartment.

Buffy normally did her homework in the library if there was nothing for her to research, but she had fallen asleep doing it and then Giles told her to take a nap and then sent her home. So she hadn't done very much of it at all today.

She got her homework done in just two hours and had started on supper by the time Angel woke up and came downstairs. "How did you sleep?"

"Ok, I guess. The last couple of hours or so I didn't have any nightmares," he said right before he kissed the nape of her neck.

"I know that you had a nightmare a few hours ago."

"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you up. I don't mean to."

"I know. But Giles thinks that there could be something to this. That it's not necessarily part of the Bond. He thinks it could be Hellmouthy."

"I guess we sent him into research mode, huh?"

"Yep. He even sent me home early. After I took a nap on the couch in his office. He didn't want me to drive until he was certain I wouldn't fall asleep behind the wheel."

"Good. I'm glad he's looking out for you."

"Angel? Why would cussing in front of Elizabeth be wrong?"

Angel smiled, "Well first, I wasn't supposed to be cussing at that age anyway and second, no one was supposed to cuss in front of a lady, ever."

* * *

Faith went off on her own to patrol and Buffy and Angel stayed together. While they were patrolling, Buffy commented, "Faith and I were talking the other day, and we were wondering if decorating the mansion for Christmas would make you uncomfortable."

Angel saw the hopeful look on his wife's face and smiled, "No, it wouldn't make me uncomfortable and yes, you can decorate if you want. I'll even help." They walked a little ways and he said, "Look, a Christmas Tree Farm. Want to stop and see if they have a tree you like?"

"We can look, but I think that Faith should be with us to pick it out and buy it; after all she lives with us."

Angel smiled as they walked onto the Tree Farm lot. They noticed that there was a whole section where the trees were dying. A sales person came up and said, "It's just this section here. All the others are ok. We're not going to put anymore in this spot. Not sure what's going on here."

Angel and Buffy just kept looking and then left and finished their patrol.

* * *

"Faith, I think I found the perfect Christmas Tree."

"So I take it he said we could decorate?"

"Yep. Come on, let's go! Angel said he would even help us decorate and he'll help us with getting the tree home."

They went back to the Christmas Tree Farm and got the biggest and fullest Christmas Tree that they had and brought it back to the mansion.

"Now, we just need decorations," Faith said.

Faith and Buffy looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Shopping."

"Tomorrow after my last day of school before the holidays, we'll go shopping for decorations for the tree and the house," Buffy said. "Oooo and presents too. We have to have presents to put under the tree." Faith and Buffy high fived each other and Angel grinned at the two.

He was glad that they were getting along so well. Sure, there were times that they argued, just like real sisters, but when it came down to it, most of the time, they would conspire together for something. Last month it was a traditional Thanksgiving and now, he was going to celebrate Christmas. He just smiled and shook his head as if he didn't know why he was doing this. Although, he really didn't have a choice unless, he wanted to live with two mopey women.

Even if Faith hadn't been living with them, all Buffy would have had to do is ask him if she could decorate the house for Christmas and he would have said that he would help out. He just wanted her to be happy.

He had over heard the conversation the two had the other night. They had been talking about past Christmases and Faith mentioned to Buffy that she had never really had a real Christmas, and Buffy said that she would have one this year. Faith had pointed out that Angel might not be able to stay in a house decorated for Christmas. Buffy didn't see why not as long as there was no Nativity scene and/or crosses, but she promised to ask Angel about it first. So he had just been waiting for her to ask.

* * *

_#It was a strange feeling. She just felt like she was in her body, and at the same time, she knew that wasn't hers. She knew her hairs weren't blonde, but red, and her eyes were grey, not green. She knew she was Buffy Anne Summers MacKenzie, the Slayer, and she knew she was Elizabeth, the fisherman's daughter. It was like their minds had melted in one in Buffy's body, exchanging memories and knowledge, and both keeping their loves for the same man as one._

_The material of her nightgown suddenly felt thinner as a strong, gentle and terribly well known male hand traced the shape of one of her breasts through her robe._

_She turned her head surprised, fighting the pants and the moans that wanted to burst out of her mouth, and her suspicions were confirmed when the beautiful face of the man she loved with all of her heart came into her view. _

_He was younger than the age he looked like those days, and a part of her mind knew he was her age. He was skinner and less muscled, and instead of his black, spiky, short hair he had long brown one, and his white shirt was definitely not one of his usual ones-or one of the velvet Angelus', for that matter. But he was gorgeous anyways, and the things his hands were doing were amazing. It didn't matter it was a dream, and she wasn't even herself. He always knew the secrets of her body and always knew how to use them on her, driving her crazy for passion, ache or both. But she also knew that was the first time ever in her life, male hands dared touch her that way._

"_Please, Liam," she felt her own voice- and at the same time it wasn't her usual voice- asking him with a desperate tune. "Please. It's the only way."_

"_Buffy," he started to say, and looking him in the eyes she knew that he was in the same conflict hers and Elizabeth's minds were with his present days mind and Liam's. "Are you sure?" he continued, while his face and hair suddenly changed, and he looked exactly like he was just her normal Angel about to make love to her. Except for the clothing, of course, and the fact that for the first time in her life, he felt warm under her fingers, tightly clenched to his shoulders._

_She hushed him with a long, passionate kiss that excited them both making their bodies tremble with pleasure and expectation. He surrendered to his own need with a groan, letting himself roll under her. She was surprised. His movements were hesitant and unsure, like he wasn't sure what to do exactly. This wasn't like Angel._

_When understanding hit her, she was panting squeezing his waist between her legs for surprise-his lips had found the curve of her neck, and because of some mysterious reason, when he had started teasing the spot, she had found out all its sensitivity. _

_As they made love, she just had the time to glimpse of a black dressed, eyeless priest watching them from a corner before she felt his fangs penetrating her throat's skin and drying her blood and life away from her body._

When Buffy woke up, she tried to scream. She really did. But the scream died in her throat as she felt not only her husband's teeth gently ease themselves out of her skin, and his tongue lapping tenderly at the wound to soothe her, but she also noticed that he _really_ was inside her, and they _really_ were in the same pose they were in her dream, and they _really_ were making love while half asleep.

Giles would be needed, next morning.#

* * *

"Giles, this is getting weird. Last night, we were making love in the dream and when we woke up…. It's like we were sleep making love. You know instead of sleep walking, sleep…"

"I get the picture, Buffy. You don't have to go on," Giles said. "I've researched and I'm sorry, Buffy, but Charles Dickens made up the Ghost of Christmas Past for _A Christmas Carol_."

"I don't remember any ghosts in any Christmas Carol's I've sung."

"_A Christmas Carol_ is the name of the book that Charles Dickens wrote. With the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to get Scrooge to change his ways."

"Really? I thought Mickey Mouse made that up." Giles sighed and shook his head as Buffy went on, "It doesn't matter. All I know is that the ghost is always there, Giles. And he has no eyes and never says anything, dressed in priests' robes and looking all freaky. And you want to know what else is freaky? The person he kills always turns into me. I'm the one he kills in our dreams."

"Wait, you see something there? And it's you that he ends up killing?"

Buffy nodded, "Every time he vamps out, I turn into the person he's going to kill in the dream and as he's draining me, behind him is this person with no eyes dressed in priests' robes. It's like he's watching Angel, but he can't be watching cause - hello, no eyes. Can't see without any eyes."

"Hummm, I'll research some more, and see what I can come up with."

* * *

_#Buffy was sitting in a movie theater watching Angelus and Darla cut a path through Europe on the big screen while eating popcorn and sipping a large diet coke. She was seeing everything that Angelus did. Some of the things that she saw made her cringe and she tried to close and cover her eyes, but she still saw it all. She **felt** it all. It was like she was there. She was always the one he would have sex with and she was the one he would torture and kill. And every time, she would see what she had come to call the Ghost of Past. It played out so fast that it was like clip after clip after clip. But the last time, played out the slowest. She saw Darla lure a young girl away from a camp that was surrounded by covered wagons and live stock and such. She watched enthralled as Darla led the girl to a large estate. Buffy then saw the girl try to run away from Darla, but Darla caught her prey and tied the girl up. She witnessed as Angelus came into the room and Darla presented the girl to him. At this time, Buffy was no longer in the movie theater. She was Darla. But she did exactly what Darla did at the time. _

As Angelus and Buffy/Darla had sex, Buffy saw the Ghost of Past watching them. Buffy and Angelus woke to making love in their sleep again.#

* * *

Buffy, Faith, and Angel decorated the mansion for Christmas. Buffy thought it would be funny to have the Christmas tree take on an Angel theme. Angel just groaned but gave into his wife. Since she and Faith were both too short, Angel put the last decoration on top of the tree. It was a beautiful female angel dressed in white that lit up. Angel hung mistletoe over all the doors in the mansion. It was Faith's idea to arrange the lights on the roof in the shape of Santa and his reindeer. Again, this was something that Angel did. It seemed like the women of the house would just tell him what they wanted done, and he would do it. But when it was all finished, the house was beautiful and festive.

While Angel was putting Santa and his reindeer on the roof in lights, Buffy and Faith went to buy presents for everyone.

* * *

_Buffy was in Angel's arms in the old apartment. Angel woke up in pain and ran out of the apartment and into the rain. With the last burst of intense pain, he screamed out for Buffy. Then the dream took on a movie type feel to it as Angel and Buffy saw Angel kill a nearby woman, team up with Spike and Dru, kill some of Buffy's classmates, and Miss Calendar, and awaken Acathla while Buffy had to send him to Hell in order to stop him from swallowing up Earth into Hell. Buffy saw the Ghost of Past right as Acathla turned back to stone and Angel vanished._

They both woke up sweating. "What was that? That didn't happen," Buffy asked.

"I have no idea."

"It doesn't make since. _That_ did not happen but the Ghost of Past was right there. Just like in all the other dreams."

"What ghost?" Angel asked.

"The Ghost of Past. You know instead of the Ghost of Christmas Past, it's just Ghost of Past, because the dreams have been of all of your past and not just past Christmases."

"Buffy, I didn't see any ghost."

"You didn't? I've been seeing this ghost in every dream."

"What does this ghost look like?"

"He looks like a priest with no eyes."

Angel looked toward the door thinking but his mind was so tired he couldn't think straight. "I'll research it tomorrow. I'm just too exhausted right now," he yawned and lay back down. Buffy lay back down as well, putting her head on her husband's chest.

* * *

"Giles it was weird. The things in our dream last _never_ happened and the Ghost of Past was _still_ there," Buffy said as she talked into the phone. She was trying to be quiet so that she wouldn't wake up Angel or Faith.

"I'm still looking, Buffy. So far I haven't found your dream ghost."

Buffy sighed, "Ok. Fine. Just call me and tell me how to stop it when you do."

* * *

Angel woke up to see Kathy his sister in his room looking at him. "You know that you're not supposed to be here like this."

"What?" Angel asked confused.

"Nope. You're supposed to be all broody and mopey. No happiness for you. You don't deserve it."

"Buffy deserves to be happy."

Kathy laughed, "And you think because she deserves happiness you get to give it to her? Nope. You were supposed to lose your soul and start killing again the first time that you experienced True Happiness. In other words, Buffy was supposed to turn you into a killer again and then she was supposed to kill you. But, I didn't want that. I have other plans for you."

Kathy then changed into Angel's father, "I need you to pay attention and do exactly what I say for once in your life, boy! You have to kill Buffy. I let you keep your soul, for this long, because I need you as a soldier for me. And I needed her to trust you. Buffy needs to die. She was just going to kill herself in that other dimension that I showed you last night. So you see she's not supposed to be here either."

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to worry yourself with that. All you need to worry about is killing The Slayer."

"No. I won't do it."

"You will do it, son, or you will pay! You think that you were born for her? To make her happy? To complete her? You have it backwards. You were born to kill her! And by killing her, you will earn our forgiveness," the apparition said as it turned into a brief vision of everyone Angel had ever killed and he got dressed and took the sewers to Giles' condominium.

* * *

"Giles, I have to speak to you," Angel said as he entered the condominium from the basement.

"What is it, Angel? Did you have another dream?"

"Yes, except I wasn't asleep. The ghosts of my little sister and my father told me that I was born to kill Buffy. That I wasn't supposed to keep my soul after Buffy turned seventeen. I will _not_ kill my wife, my Marked and Bonded Mate. I refuse to do that. Giles, if she dies, I die. I won't do it. Why would they say something like that? Even when my dad was at his worst, saying that I was lazy and calling me names, he never ever told me to kill someone. This morning, his ghost ordered me to kill my own wife. He said that it was the only I could gain forgiveness from everyone I have ever killed. I just don't get it."

"Buffy said that she's been seeing a ghost in your dreams. Have you seen it?"

"No, I haven't. She told me this morning about the ghost. She thought I saw it too, but I've never seen it."

"I'll keep researching here. You have more books at your house, why don't you go home to research ghosts, while I research here?"

* * *

While Giles was looking in his books at home, Angel and Buffy were looking in the books at the mansion. Angel still couldn't remember anything about the "ghost" that Buffy had described, so they were looking up anything on ghosts.

"Kill her, dear brother, and you will have forgiveness from everyone," Angel looked up from his book and saw Kathy behind Buffy. "You have set things right."

"I gotta go," Angel said as he ran out of the library.

"Angel? What's wrong, honey?" Buffy asked as he practically ran out of the library. She put down her book and followed him to the bedroom where he slammed the door in her face. She stood there stunned. "Angel?"

Angel heard the hurt and surprise in his wife's voice, but he couldn't trust himself enough to open the door. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He just knew that as badly as he wanted his wife, he couldn't be around her right now. He knew that he couldn't exist without her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill her just to gain forgiveness from those who he had tortured and killed. If they forgave him, then he and Buffy could be together in the after life. So the offer was very tempting. He knew that if he did kill Buffy it wouldn't be long before he killed himself.

* * *

"Faith, could you stay here and keep an eye on Angel? I've got to go to Giles'. I'll be right back. Don't let him out of here! I've got a bad feeling about this," Buffy asked as she ran out of the front door and got into her car and raced to Giles' condominium.

"Giles, there is something seriously wrong with Angel. I think it has to do with the dreams. We were researching ghosts in the library and all of the sudden he ran up to our room and shut the door in my face!"

"Yes, well, I can see why. Buffy did you by any chance see any ghosts right before he left the room?"

"No, he only shows up in the dreams. And I found out that Angel doesn't see it, just me."

"Interesting. You see some unknown ghost in your dreams, and Angel sees the ghosts of his sister and father while awake. When you see your ghost, Angel is killing and when Angel sees his ghosts, they tell him that he has to kill you in order to gain the forgiveness from everyone he killed," Giles muttered to himself.

"What?" Buffy asked shocked.

"Angel was here earlier and he told me that his father's and his sister's ghost has visited him. Apparently, they want him to kill you, but that was never their nature in life. So, that begs the question, 'Who would want The Slayer dead and why would they use your husband to do it?'"

Giles turned back to his book while contemplating the question he just asked and a light bulb went off inside his head, "Buffy, is this your ghost?"

Giles showed her a picture and she said, "Yes. How do I stop it?"

"It's a Harbringer or Bringer. They are agents of The First and they can make people see visions and apparitions. If they are behind this, then they might be trying to get you out of the way so that they can call forth The First."

"Where do I find them and how do I kill them?"

"I don't know. It just says that nothing will grow below or above them…."

"The Christmas tree lot. There was this spot that all the trees were dying but the rest of the lot was perfect. Could they be there?"

"It sounds as if it might be under that spot, yes."

"Great," Buffy said as she walked out of the door.

* * *

Buffy was able to make it underground and saw the Bringers sitting around chanting. When they noticed her, they attacked, but she was soon able to dispose of them all.

Then Miss Calendar appeared and said, "You think that just by killing my soldiers you can defeat me? You can't. I'm in everything on this earth. Every single sin committed, even yours, I'm there. I have always been here and I always will be here. You cannot stop me, little girl! You have no idea what you are dealing with!"

"Let me guess, evil?" Buffy smarted off.

The First morphed into what could have been a red bull's head, went all the way through her, and disappeared after coming out of the other side.

* * *

"Liam?" Angel was huddled into a corner. "Liam, you need to listen to me carefully." He heard his little sister's voice. "That thing that told you to kill your wife, that wasn't me and it wasn't Father. It's gone for now. She defeated it. But it will be back. You need to be ready for it. Don't fall for its lies when it comes back. Just know that I forgave you before my heart even stopped beating. I knew it wasn't my Liam. And somehow, I knew that my big brother would turn out just fine. I always knew that about you, my Liam. Always. I'm fine and so are Mother and Father. I can't speak for them, but please know that I have forgiven you. Just keep what you are doing by fighting by her side and helping her. You are doing good and you are making up for the things that you have done." She looked up at the ceiling, "I've got to go now. I don't know if He will let me come back and talk with you again, but you needed some reassurance and I begged to be the one to come tell you. You have a few years before it will back, just get ready. And one more thing before I go,"

"What?"

When Kathy smiled she looked angelic, "Merry Christmas," and then she faded away as Buffy came into the room to see her husband hunched over in a corner. She walked up to him, wiped a tear from his cheek and said, "It's over. It's gone."

Angel's focus came to his wife's face and he mournfully said, "For now. But it will be back."

"No it won't. It can't. I killed it's priests."

"It will find more. And it will be back. But we have a few years before then," Angel smiled and gave his wife a passionate kiss.

* * *

Buffy and Faith were in the kitchen cooking dinner for the gang. All of their friends, Giles, and Buffy's mom was expected to be there at noon for Christmas dinner and presents.

"Are you going to go wake up the big guy up there?"

"Nah. It's the first restful sleep he's had in a week. He needs it. I don't think anyone will mind if he's not here for lunch. He'll probably wake up in time for the presents."

"Why do say that?"

Buffy smiled, "I set the alarm for one o'clock."

They both laughed and finished making the salad and the vegetables for lunch. Buffy took the turkey out of the oven just as the door bell rang and Faith let in the gang. Not long after that, Giles and Joyce showed up together and Angel came down from the master bedroom, just as they walked into the mansion.

"Merry Christmas, Angel," Joyce said.

"Merry Christmas, Joyce, everyone," Angel returned the greeting.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner and then they all gathered around the Christmas tree to open their presents from Faith, Buffy, and Angel.

Everyone enjoyed themselves and liked the gifts that were picked out, bought and/or made for them. Angel had a custom made weapon's cabinet made for Buffy and Buffy had found a painting of the clearing that she and Angel had dreamt about and had bought it. What she didn't realize was that it was a painting that Angel himself had painted before he was turned. It was the first painting he had sold. There were three horses racing each with a rider - two young boys and a young girl on the third horse. Angel had painted this from memory the day after he learned that Elizabeth had gone to Dublin with her mother to visit her mother's sick sister.

"When I saw it, it reminded me of the clearing in our dream. The one where you and your friends used race as children."

Angel nodded, "Where did you find this?"

"I bought it for the gallery at an auction. I was told it was a painting of Galway, Ireland around 1750," Joyce answered.

"I saw it when I went to see Mom at the gallery one day last week," Buffy said.

"It was painted on March 15, 1751," Angel said amazed that this painting had found its way back to him after all these years.

"How do you know that?" Joyce asked.

"I was the one who painted it. One of my friends had just left for Dublin and I was missing her. So I went to the clearing where we played as children and I painted one of the happiest memories I had. With a photographic memory, it wasn't that hard to remember all the details."

"Wow, Angel, I had no idea, or I would have never even put up to be sold," Joyce said taking note of the style and the signature in the top right corner of the painting. If she ever ran across one of Angel's paintings or drawings, she would buy them and give them to him.

"Joyce, while I didn't paint this picture to be sold, I did sell it and I'm just surprised that I got it back. It's amazing."

"Why did you sell it?"

Angel sighed trying to figure out how much to tell his friends and his wife, "The traveler who bought this painting, bought me a whole night's worth drink." He knew later that Buffy would ask and he would tell his Mate the whole payment also included a night of pleasure with the woman who had bought the painting.

End of chapter

* * *

Author's Note: I had meant to have this up by Christmas, but I just got a new job last month and I've been really busy. I'll try to have the next chapter up by Jan. 19, but no promises. My schedule is crazy right now. And when I come home from work, I'm exhausted. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Santa was good to everyone this year. Happy New Year, everyone!


	6. Chapter 6 Helpless

WAWO Book 2 Chapter 6 Helpless Re-write

**_*#~IMPORTANT NOTE: I forgot to welcome my new beta, Michelle Forks, last chapter. Please forgive me and welcome to the beta team and thanks so much for betaing for me! ::Mac is embarrassed:: ~ #*_**

**_Happy Birthday, Buffy! I know this is a year late. My only excuse is that my real life took over._**

**_As always, all bold means shouting/yelling; underline and in italics is Angelus' thoughts, while Angel's thoughts are just in italics like everyone else's; thoughts that have quotation marks around them are thoughts that Angel and Buffy can hear through their bond; the sections that are surrounded by asterisks (*) are from the transcript. I want to be clear on what I write and what came from the show._**

This is the re-write of Helpless. Some of this chapter is from the transcript. This episode was *written by David Fury; directed by: James A. Contner; and Transcribed by: AleXander Thompson and the transcript was proved by TWIZ Copyright © 1999 Alexander Thompson* Again, with any and all typos concerning the present tense of the verbs that come form the transcript are my fault and not the fault of my betas. We can't all catch everything and I may miss a few verbs here and there.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

About a week before Buffy's birthday, Faith knocked on Buffy and Angel's bedroom door. When Buffy opened the door, Faith pointed to the bed, grinned, and said, "Wow, B. Chains. I know what I'm getting you for your birthday now." She would get her some handcuffs and whips to along with those chains.

Buffy blushed. Last night was the first night that she and Angel had used chains during sex and she didn't really want the whole world know about it. Buffy tried to change the subject by saying, "What do you want, Faith?"

"Oh, Giles called. He said that I'm needed in Cleveland to stop this demon from opening the Hellmouth there. So I was just letting you know that I'm going to be gone for a while."

"Ok. If you need any help give us a call."

"Sure. Well, I gotta go pack. I leave tonight."

"OK. Good Luck."

"Yeah you too!" Faith grinned and left.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

*Suddenly Buffy hit the floor in front of the fireplace hard on her back. She had her right knee pulled up to her chest. Angel crouched over her, holding himself up with his arms and grinning down at her. She used her leg to throw Angel over her head. He flipped backward and landed flat on his back. Buffy did a kick-up, bringing her up to a standing position, and spun around to face Angel as he got to his feet. He hesitated for a moment before lunging at her with a wide punch that she easily ducked. She came up behind him, and he turned around to face her. He tried a left-hand punch, but she inner form blocked it and flew into a half-spinning in-to-out crescent kick. Angel ducked it, but got knocked off his feet when Buffy kept on spinning downwards with a back leg sweep, sending him to the floor. She scrambled to grab a baguette from the blanket and rolled toward Angel. She came up straddling him at the waist and plunged the long, thin loaf at his chest, stopping just short of penetration. "Gotcha!" she said with a grin.

Defeated Angel said, "Uhh! Right in the heart."

"Satisfied?"*

"That comes later," Angel said suggestively and grabbed the back of her head and brought her lips down to his and kissed her passionately.

"Uh, guys, take it up to your room, please," Faith said as she walked into the room with her bags packed for her trip to Cleveland. "I don't want to get air sick even before I get in the air."

They pulled apart, Buffy got off of Angel, and cleared her throat while Angel just grinned, "What did you want to do this weekend?

*"Right, birthday. Um, actually, I, I have a thing."

Angel disappointed but trying to cool and joking about it, "Oh, a thing. A date?"

Buffy nodded, "Actually, I do have a date. Older man. Very handsome. He likes it when I call him 'Daddy'."*

"Woa there, TMI, B."

Buffy and Angel laughed, "So where is Hank taking you?"

*"He's taking me to the ice show. Which should be big fun. I could use a little fun."*

"You want some fun, I'll give you some fun," he said as he picked her up and carried her off to the bedroom. "And you can call me 'Daddy', too," he added just tease Faith.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Giles knocked on the door of the mansion. He didn't like coming here and intruding on Buffy during her "off hours". But he had some important news. He had just gotten off the phone with Quentin Travers. Angel answered the door, "Giles, what can we do for you?"

"I really need to talk with you and Buffy."

"Alright," Angel said as he moved back to let Giles in without a verbal invitation.

Buffy stopped washing dishes and came out of the kitchen after hearing Giles' voice, "Hey."

They all walked into the living room, sat down and Giles began, "I just got off the phone with Quentin Travers, the head of the Watcher's Council. It seems as though, they have uncovered more of the prophecy that Faith was sent to Cleveland to stop. And I know that she left a few days ago, but they think that she will need my help. They already have made my travel arrangements. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Giles, it's fine. Really. Go. Help Faith. Do whatever you need to in order to stop this prophecy," Buffy said.

"Before, I leave, I need to tell you something else. Travers and some of the board members of the Watcher's Council are coming to Sunnydale. They have a test they want Buffy to take. I don't know what it is. They won't tell me. But I'm sure whatever it is, you will be fine, Buffy."

Buffy nodded, "So no clue on what I should study?"

Giles chuckled at that and turned to Angel, "Angel, could you possible sub for me at the school library?"

"Sure. I'd be glad to," Angel said looking forward to spending time with his wife while she was at school. And then add to that she worked in the afternoons at the library, so he would be spending time with her while she was at work.

"Oh one more thing. I haven't seen any need in telling the council about your personal relationship. All they know is that Angel helps out with the slaying, training, and research. I'll leave it up to you to decide what and how much to tell them. They don't know that you are married, Buffy, so to them you are Buffy Summers."

Angel nodded, "What do you suggest, Giles?"

"Well, I'm not sure how they would take it if they knew that you and Buffy were married let alone Marked and Bonded. I'm afraid that they would treat her as a rogue slayer."

"That bad huh?"

"Yes. They might see your marriage and your mating as a betrayal and consider her a traitor. If they do, they would just assume that she had switched sides. And they would try to kill you both, even going after your close friends. Now keep in mind, this is worst case scenario and it's just my fear."

"It's simple. They won't know. All they will continue to know is that Angel helps me to train, research, and slay. Nothing else is their business."

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

The next day after school, Buffy was *sitting at a table in the library while* Travers *dangled a pink crystal in front of her. She played with a long, thin, translucent one. There was a rather large collection of crystals of various colors, shapes and sizes on the table.* Travers *asked, "This one?"

"Amethyst," Buffy answered.* She was bored with this test. _Why am I being tested on crystals anyway? Isn't that more of a majick thing? I wish Travers hadn't sent Angel home. _They couldn't give away the fact that they had anything other than a business partnership and it was hard not to show her feelings.

Travers *continued to quiz her, "Used for?"

"Breath mints?" Buffy looked up at him.*

Travers was *exasperated, "Charm bags, money spells, and for cleansing one's aura."* _We've been over this several times already. Why can't you just be like all the previous slayers and be complaint and eager to please? It's as if you don't care what the Council thinks of you, _Travers mused to himself.

*"Okay, so how do you know if one's aura's dirty? Somebody come by

with a finger and write 'wash me' on it?" Buffy said as she gestured with her crystal.*

Travers *set down his crystal and propped his arms on the table, leaning toward Buffy, and seriously said, "Buffy, I'm aware of* the fact that you and Mr. Giles joke around during your training, but since I am the one administering this test*, I would appreciate your glib-free attention."

"Sorry. It's just with Faith* and Giles being called to Cleveland, *I feel like somebody should be patrolling."

"Well, you'll be there soon enough. Why so anxious?"* Travers was wondering if she had planned on taking her vampire on patrol with her tonight.

*"I guess it...," Buffy was suddenly self-conscious about her crystal and

quickly put it down, "I just have some... energy to burn."

"Well, in due time, but, uh, for the present," he selected the largest blue crystal, "if it's not entirely beyond your capabilities," he set it in front of Buffy, "try to concentrate."

Buffy sighed and stared into the crystal.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Later that night in a playground between the school and the mansion, a vampire front rolled down the slide and onto the ground. Buffy ran down the slide after him and stopped next to him in a ready stance, she grinned widely "Wow, that was really funny-looking! Could you do it again?"

"I'll kill you for that," the vampire jumped up.

"For that? What were you trying to kill me for before?"

The vampire swung at her, but she ducked it and came up behind him. He faced her just in time to take a roundhouse kick in the shoulder. He swung again, but she ducked it and punched him in the gut, then rose back up and backhand punched him in the head. Then she shoved him back a step so she could follow up with a half-spinning wheel kick, making the vampire stumble back and fall onto the carousel. She strode toward him.

"Okay, so here's the deal," she raised her stake. Suddenly, she was overcome by dizziness. She closed her eyes and stepped back unsteadily, almost as though in pain. The vampire seized the opening and rushed her, grabbed her by the jacket, swung her around and threw her onto a picnic table. She rolled off of it and onto the ground.

The vampire jumped on top of her, straddling her. She turned her head away in fright. He grabbed her right wrist with one hand and with the other grabbed her hand and twisted it around, hurting her and making her cry out. Her stake was now pointed at her own chest, and the vampire used his weight to slowly push it down at her.

"Lemme know if I'm not doing this right."

Her eyes went wide with terror as she struggled desperately with him. He leaned hard on the stake, slowly pushing it closer to Buffy's chest. She struggled hard to keep him at bay, but she was losing the battle. In a desperate attempt to get him off of her, she head butted the vampire. He was slightly stunned and stopped pushing down on the stake, but remained on top of her. She then slapped him in the face hard and shoved him off of her. He rolled away and onto all fours. Buffy scrambled to get the stake, rolled back onto her back and braced the stake against her chest pointing upward. The vampire jumped to his feet and lunged angrily for her, landing on top of her and impaling himself. He exploded into a cloud of ashes. Buffy waited a moment before she raised herself into a sitting position. She brushed some of the dust from her jacket and took a few breaths before standing up.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy* was standing in her and Angel's training room *concentrating on a target she set up against the* east wall*. She raised a knife and threw it. It glanced off of the target and clinked as it hit the floor.* Angel *came into the room.* "Thought I heard you in here."

"Angel, *something's wrong."

"Wrong?" he saw the target with a few knives stuck awkwardly into it. None of them were anywhere near the center.

"Ah. Perhaps you shouldn't..." Buffy threw a knife and missed, "...do that anymore."

"On top of that, I got a bad case of the dizzies* tonight *and almost let a vamp stake me. With my own stake! I'm way off my game. My game's left the country. It's in Cuernavaca.* Angel, *what's going on here?

"Well, perhaps you've got a bad flu bug or something,"* Angel suggested.

*"No. No, not sick. I _can't_ get sick. My dad's coming to take me to the ice show. We do it every year for my birthday. If I cancel, it's gonna break his heart."*

"Mo grá, listen, *just take it easy for* a day or so. Let me handle *patrolling until you feel yourself again."*

He started to go out of the door when, *Buffy picked up a couple more knives from the table, "No. No, I just need to spend a little more time training." She threw one. This time it went very wild and broke one of* the light fixtures in the ceiling. Angel *didn't see it, but he sure heard it.

"I'm gone!" she turned and left the room.

"Thank you!" He* followed his wife *without looking at the damage.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy and her friends were sitting outside at the lunch tables eating. "An ice show? A show performed on ice. And how old are we again?" Xander asked.

Willow informed him, "I went to _Snoopy On Ice_ when I was little. My dad took me backstage and I got so scared I threw up on Woodstock."

Buffy tried to defend herself, "Look, I know you guys think it's just a big, dumb, girlie thing, but it's not. I mean, a lot of those skaters are Olympic medal winners. And every year my dad buys me cotton candy and one of those souvenir programs that has all the pictures, and okay, it's a big, dumb, girlie thing, but I love it."

"It's not so girlie. Ice is cool! It's water, but it's not," Oz reflected.

"I think it's sweet you and your dad have a tradition. Especially now* that you're married *and he's not around so much. Ixnay on the caramel corn, though, if you go backstage."

Buffy nodded in agreement.

"We're still talking party, right? I mean, some of us still love to relish celebrating in the birth of the Buff," Xander pleaded.

"I dunno. I think it might be time to put a moratorium on parties in my honor. They tend to go badly. Monsters crash. People die."

"But eighteen is a _big_ one, Buffy. I mean, you can vote now. You can be drafted. You can vote not to be drafted," Willow smiled.

"I think I'll choose to celebrate this one with quiet reflection."

"Where is it written that quiet reflection can't be combined with cake and funny hats?" Xander demanded.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

When Buffy arrived home, a large birthday floral arrangement was on the island in the kitchen, complete with helium balloons and a card. The tickets to the ice show were attached to the card.* Angel *was at the stove making dinner.* He *heard the front door close. "Buffy?"

"Present," she went into the kitchen, saw the flowers and smiled, "Ooo, present!"

"Uh, they're not. They're from your father."

Buffy took the card and tickets from the arrangement and looked at them.* Angel could see her *deep disappointment in her expression.*

Angel tried to comfort his wife, *"His, uh, quarterly projections are unraveling and he can't afford to take off right now. He promises to make it up to you. It's all right there in the letter. Or at least that's what he told me over the phone earlier."

Buffy sadly folded up the tickets and the card without even opening it.*

"I…I could take you, if you want."

*"No. No, that's not necessary. I-I was just thinking it might be nice to have a quiet birthday."*

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Travers and Buffy are in the school *library. Travers had the crystals out again and carefully laid them out on the table. Buffy sat and watched him.*

Travers *absently stated, "I think we should start with the grounding crystal again." He set the largest blue crystal on the table in front of Buffy* while she looked bored. *He absently sets the box aside. "Now, look very carefully for the tiny flaw at its core."* Travers could tell that she was distracted and said, *"Buffy, I think you should concentrate now. Now, look for the flaw at its center."

He leaned against the table. Buffy gave in and started to concentrate on the crystal. At its center was a small stake-shaped flaw in an otherwise nearly clear blue crystal. Buffy slowly went into a trance.* Travers *leaned over further and looked into her face, "Buffy?" Satisfied that she was caught in the crystal's thrall, he pulled a small case from his briefcase, set it on the table and opened it. Inside was a hypodermic needle, a test tube full of a clear yellow liquid and an alcohol-soaked gauze pad. Keeping a careful eye on Buffy, he took the pad and leaned toward her. He took her arm, pushed up her sleeve and wiped the pad on a spot near the inside of her elbow. He filled the syringe, tapped it to get any air bubbles to the tip and pushed on the plunger until the fluid began to squirt out. Again he checked to be sure Buffy is under, then he took her arm in one hand and with the other stuck in the needle. Slowly, he depressed the plunger, all the while keeping an eye on The Slayer. She didn't stir in the least. He pulled the needle back out. Buffy did not bleed from the site. Quickly he put everything away. Buffy remained in the crystal's thrall.* Travers *set on the table, trying to be casual, and waves his hand between Buffy and the crystal. She came out of her trance and looked up at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she rubbed her temples. "Did I zone out on you? It's just... I'm nursing a flu bug."*

Travers *replied, "It's best to take care of that. Perhaps we should, um..."

"...call it a night. Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks," Buffy interrupted as she got up weakly and groaned as she walked out of the library.*

Travers *smiled to himself, "Good night."*

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

*Buffy, Willow,* and Xander *were sitting in the Quad Area at school when Buffy asked, "So, how's it going with Amy the rat?"

Willow excitedly replied, "Good! She loves her new exercise wheel. She runs around, her nose wiggles..."

Buffy interrupted, "I-I meant, how's it going changing her back into a human being?"

"Oh. Still working on it. But I just got her the cutest little bell..."*

"How did she get turned into a rat again?"

Willow sighed, "We were practicing some spells and then she turned herself into a rat. I'm not sure how or I would be able to reverse it - I think."

Buffy smiled and then turned to Xander, "And what happened with you and Cordy?"

"We decided that we didn't want to fight anymore and the only time we don't fight is when we aren't together."

"She decided that she wanted to date around again," Willow interjected.

"Ah," Buffy said just as she *heard a boy raising his voice and she looked in his direction. He was talking to Cordelia and was upset, "You don't do that to me! I waited for you at the Bronze all night!"

"And the big deal is?" Cordelia asked.

"You made me look like some kind of dork in front of my posse!"

He grabbed her arm. Cordelia was offended, and slapped his arm away, "First of all, 'posse'? Passé! Second of all, anyone with a teaspoon of brains knows not to take my flirting seriously. Especially with my extenuating circumstances."

The boy was confused, "What circumstances?"

"Rebound! Look it up!"

She tried to leave, but he grabbed her by both shoulders and pushed her against a tree.

"Hey! I'm not through here."

Buffy immediately moved in and grabbed the boy's arm, "Oh, I beg to differ."

She tried to yank at it, but found she had absolutely no strength. He scoffed at her and nudged her away rather hard. Buffy fell backward, stumbling onto a bench and rolled off onto the ground. Cordelia was infuriated, and shoved him away from her, "What is wrong with you?"

"Ow," the boy groaned as Cordelia pounded him in the chest with girlie punches. He quickly backed away, but Cordelia kept up with him and wouldn't let up. "God, the chick started it!"

Willow got down to her knees to help Buffy up, she was very concerned, "Are you okay?" Buffy slowly sat up, very confused.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

"Okay, I just got swatted down by some no-neck and rescued by Cordelia. What the hell is happening?" Buffy asked her* husband *walking down the hall toward the library.*

"I don't know, mo grá, but I will research it while you're in class," Angel promised.

*Buffy was desperate, "You're not getting the big picture here. I-I have _no_ strength. I have _no_ coordination. I throw knives like...

"A girl?"* Angel stated calmly. By staying calm, he hoped to calm his wife down, but he was just as panicked as she was.

*Buffy was confused by his reaction, "Like I'm not The Slayer."*

Angel stopped, walking faced his wife, and took a deep unneeded breath, "Listen, I don't know what's going on right now, but I _will_ find out and we _will_ stop it."

*"Promise me."

"Yes, I give you my word,"* Angel said as he smiled and leaned in for a kiss before Snyder walked by and cleared his throat stopping the kiss before it even began. Angel *headed down the hall for the library* while Buffy went to her class.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

When Angel got into the library, he called Giles. When Giles answered the phone Angel didn't waste any time on pleasantries, "Giles, there is something seriously wrong here. It's like Buffy is losing all of her Slayer powers. And some of your books are missing. I remember seeing them in here, but they're not here now."

_Damn it, Quentin, you lied to me! _"Angel, I'm on my way back to do what I can to help you out. I'll just tell Faith to call if she needs me," Giles didn't give Angel the chance to question him more and hung up and then dialed the airlines to get a flight back to Sunnydale.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

*During Study Hall, the gang was at the table doing research into Buffy's condition, "Aha! A curse on Slayers," Willow thought she had found the reason behind Buffy's condition. Buffy looked up as Willow read again, "Oh, no. Wait. I-it's lawyers."*

Buffy was glad that Travers was nowhere to be found during the day. She didn't want him to know about her losing her strength. She was also grateful that right now the "test" consisted of Travers trying to teach her about crystals and quizzing her on them.

*Xander suggested, "You know, maybe we're on the wrong track with the whole spell, curse and whammy thing. Maybe what we should be looking for is something like, um …ahem… Slayer kryptonite."

"Faulty metaphor. Kryptonite kills," Oz deadpanned.

"You're assuming I meant the green kryptonite. I was referring, of course, to the red kryptonite, which drains Superman of his powers."

Oz thought about it, "Wrong. The gold kryptonite's the power-sucker. The red kryptonite mutates Superman into some sort of weird..."

Buffy was growing impatient, "Guys? Reality?" She dropped her book onto the table, got up and walked toward the stairs.

Willow got up and followed, "Buffy." They stopped walking and Willow continued, "I know you are _definitely_, without a doubt, gonna get your powers back."

"Thanks, Will," she started up to the stacks.

"But what if you don't?"

Buffy stopped and sighed, "Okay... if I don't get my powers back, then I don't. I'll deal." She considered that option, "And there's a whole lotta good sides to it."

"Actually, this could open up so many..."*

Angel walked out of Giles' office and Buffy ran up to him, "Angel, *did you find anything?"*

Angel *was apologetic, "Uh, no. Not yet.* But I wanted to give this to you now." *He handed her the birthday gift he found for her. She opened it and leafed through it. It was a copy of "Sonnets from the Portuguese", classic love poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her husband, Robert Browning. On the title page Angel has written simply "Always".* _Damn, I messed up. She doesn't like it._

_She doesn't realize that back in your day, only a lover or husband would give a gift like that book,_ Angelus thought back to Angel referring to his human days.

*Buffy softly said, "Thank you. That's beautiful."

"You really like it?"

"Of course I do. It's sweet and thoughtful and... full of neat words to learn and say like 'wilt' and 'henceforth'.

"Then why'd you seem more excited last year when you got a severed arm in a box?"

"I'm sorry.* I'm just really worried about everything that's going on."

"Yeah I know. And I hate to do this to you, but I just got a call. One of the restaurants in L.A. has an emergency. I have to go to L.A. for few hours. I can be back before bedtime, but if you don't want me to go, I'll tell them that I can't clear my schedule and they will just have to wait until I can get there."

"No, it's ok. I have my birthday supper with Mom tonight. I'll be fine."

"I called Giles this morning and he said that he was on his way back home to come help us find out what's wrong. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"Ok." Buffy gives Angel a passionate good-bye kiss.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Angel walked into his restaurant and went to the back. "What's going on?" he asked the manager on duty.

"I was afraid to say something with Darryl here, sir. But I thought you should know that I saw him pocket the money that was in the register last night."

"What?" Angel was surprised at this. He had been thinking about closing down this restaurant because it was losing money, but he had never thought that someone was stealing from him. "Thank you, for this information. I'll look into it."

The young manager, walked out of the office and Angel looked at the security tapes. The cameras that the mangers knew about showed nothing and had been wiped clean, the security camera that only he and the security company knew about, had the whole thing on tape. He sat back and sighed. He had trusted this man and he been betrayed. Angel had a couple of avenues to go. He could have the man arrested, or he could just fire him. He looked on the schedule and saw that the thief was due in any minute now. He wondered if Darryl would even show up. Then the door opened and Darryl walked in. He looked surprised to see Angel in his office.

"Come here, I want you to see something," Angel told his manager. After Darryl was seated down in the seat that Angel had just occupied, Angel turned the TV on and played the tape. Darryl sat there stunned. He thought he had turned off all of the cameras. "I've been wondering to myself why someone I trust so much would betray me."

"I have no excuse, sir," Darryl said. It wasn't Angel's problem. It was his responsibility.

"There must be some. Was it for the excitement?" The man just hung his head down and answered in the negative using just his head. "Was it for the greed?"

"No, sir," Darryl said with his head still hung down.

"Then why did you steal from me? I want to know."

"Just call the cops and arrest me already."

"I might do that, then again I might have pity on you. Tell me the reason," Angel said, remembering how the ghost of his little sister had forgiven him just a couple of weeks ago.

"My son has a rare genetic disease that the health insurance won't cover because it was a pre-existing condition. He was diagnosed with it when he was born, but we had no insurance at the time, so now no insurance will cover it. My wife was working to cover the medical bills, but then she had to quit because he got worse. They say that if he doesn't get an operation soon, he'll die. I didn't know what to do. So I stole the money to pay for the operation. I had planned on paying it back little by little until it was all paid back."

Angel looked at the photo of the man's wife and six year old son that was in a frame on the desk. He sighed. He knew by the sound of Darryl's heartbeat that he was telling the truth. Using his vamperic hearing, he could tell when someone was lying the same way that lie detector machines could tell. He thought about all of this for a minute, "Do you still have the money you stole from me?"

Darryl hadn't gotten all the money together for the operation yet, so yes he still had it and nodded his head in shame.

"How much is the operation?"

"One hundred fifty thousand dollars."

"And how much have you stolen from me?"

"Fifty thousand."

Angel nodded and said, "Bring the fifty thousand back. Email me the true finical statements since you started to steal from me. I will pay for the operation, but it has to come out of another account.

"I'll keep you employed here, but on a probation period. For the next year, you will not be here alone and I want your keys. You will not be allowed in here alone until I think that you are trustworthy again. Don't mess up like this again, Darryl."

"Yes, Sir."

"I won't, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Darryl, you're a good man and I'm more hurt and disappointed that you would do this than I am angry that I was stolen from. Please prove my belief in you right. Go home, be with your wife and son. Take the time you need off for the operation and come back to work when you can. It will be paid medical leave."

"Yes, sir. I will," Darryl said as he left the office.

Angel then asked the assistant manager if he could close up and told him that Darryl wasn't to be left alone in the restaurant until further notice. Not totally sure if he was doing the right thing or not, he walked out of the office and into the dining room and spotted his father-in-law. And Hank wasn't alone. He was sitting with a young lady not too much older than Buffy. Angel walked over to his father-in-law, "Hello, Hank."

"Uh, Angel. What are you doing here?" Hank asked surprised.

"I could ask you the same thing, Hank. You know Buffy was very disappointed when you cancelled your date with her."

"You had a date with another woman and you cancelled to go with me?" the woman asked.

Angel looked even angrier than before and Hank just knew that his son-in-law was about to rip out his throat right then and there, "She doesn't know about Buffy does she? She has no idea that you have a daughter. This is why Buffy wouldn't talk to you for most of the summer. And I begged her to talk to you. Not to leave things the way that they were. Well, this time, Hank, I'm not going to interfere. If she finds out about this, I'm not going to try to talk her into making up with you."

"You have to pay child support?" the woman asked. Hank and Angel both ignored her.

"Angel, you're married to her, she has Giles for a father figure now. Where do I fit in? I don't. Giles can take her to the ice show. She has the tickets. I sent them. And if Giles can't take her, then you take her, you're her husband."

"She doesn't want me to take her. She wants you to take her. She told me that it was a Daddy/daughter thing. It's your responsibility, not Giles'. And you're right, I'm her husband and the only reason that I'm here is because of an emergency that sounded like it couldn't wait. Or I would be home with my wife on her birthday. And _you_ should be with your daughter on her birthday. I can't believe you. Go ahead and spend time with your new girlfriend, but when you do want to spend time with Buffy, I'm not going to anything to encourage it. After all, I'm her husband and it's my job to protect her from those who will hurt her – even her own _father_!" Angel spat out the last word and walked off.

As he walked off he heard Hank's date ask, "So you don't have to pay child support?"

Hank replied, "No I don't pay child support. Does my having a daughter bother you?"

"No, not all," the woman said sickly sweet like she was trying hide something.

Angel just shook his head and got in his car and raced toward Sunnydale.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

As soon as Giles' plane landed at the Sunnydale airport, Giles drove to an old boarding house that Quentin had planned on using before telling him that they wouldn't perform this particular test.

*Giles opened the door and took a tentative look inside. Everything seemed quiet, "Quentin?" He stepped in and closed the door, still wary of the place. He went into the sitting room. Nothing seemed amiss. He walked back out and down the hall, looking up the stairs. Still all seemed well, but he thought that it was just too quiet. He took a few steps up to the landing. "Hello? Quentin? Hob..." He noticed that the stair railing felt clammy, and looked at his hand. It was covered with fresh blood. From the landing he looked into the other room and saw the closed crate standing there. He rushed down the stairs and looked for a weapon. He grabbed one of the stair rail supports and broke it out with the heel of his other hand. He headed straight for the crate, intending to dust whatever's inside, but found it empty. Alarmed, he looked around and then down at the floor. There he saw tracks of blood leading into the kitchen. He followed them, ready for anything. Holding his makeshift stake up and ready, he grabbed the doorknob and swung it open, but nothing was there to meet him. He searched for the light switch, first on one side, then the other, and flipped it on when he finds it. He saw what was left of Hobson lying on the table. The mauling Hobson received must have been horrific because Giles immediately dropped the stake, backed out of the kitchen, put his hand to his mouth and did his best not to vomit. He quickly regained his composure and ran out of the house.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy was slowly walking to* her mom's house *holding her coat closed and hugging her book.* She had wanted her mom to see the first edition that Angel had given her, so she was bringing it along. *She watched as a car passed, and then stepped into the street to cross it. Near the other side of the street she walked past a couple of guys just hanging out by a car. They saw her pass by and checked her out.

One of the men said to the other "Let's find out." Then he called out to Buffy's back, "Hey, sweet girl!" Buffy stopped cold, "How much for a lap dance for me and my buddy?" They laugh to themselves. Buffy began to turn around, but thought better of taking them on in her weakened state. She continues along the street. The men make no move to follow her.*

"I'll be fine, Angel. It's just dinner with my mom. Go on, go to L.A. Hurry back home soon," Buffy muttered to herself.

*She rounded a corner and heard humming, but didn't see anyone around. She stopped and looked behind her, but saw no one there either. "Hummers. Big turnoff. I like guys that can remember the lyrics."

She started to walk again as she turned back, she ran right into Kralik. He held onto her by the arms while she tried to pull away, "You know, I wish I could, but my mind just isn't what it used to be."

"Let me go," she pulled harder, and he yanked her back.

Kralik playfully said, "You didn't say please!"

She started to struggle in earnest and call for help, "**Help me! Somebody please!**" She got her left arm loose, pulled her right arm out of her jacket and let her left arm slip out of the other sleeve as she began to run.

Blair headed her off and roared at her. She screamed and began to run back the other way, dodging Kralik, who made no move to give chase. He had what he wanted. Blair, however, continued to run after her.

"**Help me, please! Somebody!**" Buffy yelled out as she ran behind a row of houses. "**Somebody, please, help me!**" At the far end of the alley she encountered a fence. She tried to climb it, but didn't have the strength. She dropped back down, checked behind her and saw Blair coming. She looked down and saw that the fence had been cut at the base, and quickly crawled through it. Blair caught up and grabbed her by the leg. She kept crawling, making him lose his balance and grip, but he scrambled to grab her foot. He couldn't get a good hold of it, though, and Buffy slipped through and began to run. Blair got down and started to squeeze himself through the fence.

Buffy ran into the street and tried to flag down a car, "**Stop! Please, I need help!**" The driver honked his horn and swerved sharply to get around her, but he just kept going, "**Please, stop!**"

She looked over at Blair, who couldn't get through the hole, and saw him climbing the fence instead. Another car honked at her and screeched around her. A third car comes in the other direction. Buffy thought she recognized it. She did when it stopped and Giles pushed open the passenger-side door, "Hurry!" She jumped in and Giles gunned it just as Blair got there. Blair grabbed the door and got his feet up just inside the car. Buffy hit him repeatedly as they sped along, and eventually Blair couldn't hold on any longer. He dropped out of the car and rolled over a few times in the street before coming to a stop face down. Back by the fence Kralik stepped into the street and watched them go.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Giles brought Buffy to the school library. She sat at a table wrapped in a blanket, "When I hit him, it felt like my arm was broken, it hurt so much.

I can't be just a person. I can't be helpless like that. Giles, please, we have to figure out what's happening to me."

Giles opened* Traver's *briefcase and pulled out the case with the syringe. He opened it, let out a deep sigh and sets it in front of her, and with a shaky voice said, "It's an organic compound... of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressers. The effect is temporary. You'll be yourself again in a few days."

Buffy couldn't believe her ears or eyes. She reached out to the tube of liquid and touched it, "You?"*

"Quentin. I trusted him because I thought he wouldn't lie to me. I was wrong. I told him that there had to be another way. He told me that there was new test, one that wouldn't put your life in danger and I trusted him."

"What did he do to me?"

*Giles' voice shook, "It's a test, Buffy," he took off his glasses, "It's given to the Slayer once she... uh, well, if she reaches her eighteenth birthday." He swallowed hard before he continued, "The Slayer is disabled and then entrapped with a vampire foe whom she must defeat in order to pass the test." He paced toward his office, "The vampire you were to face... has escaped." He stopped at the door facing away, "His name is Zackary Kralik. As a mortal, he murdered and tortured more than a dozen women before he was committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. When a vamp..."

Buffy stood up and threw the syringe case at him, but missed, hitting the wall beside him, and sobbed angrily, "You bastard.* You left me to those … those … monsters! You knew about this test and you didn't tell me!"

*Giles faced her,* "Buffy, you have to believe me, if I had known that it was a possibility for Quentin to go through with this after telling me that there was another way, I would have told you and Angel about it. But you are right. It is my fault. It's my fault for trusting someone I shouldn't have. And for that, you will never know how sorry I am."

*Buffy* wasn't ready to let go of the her anger and she needed someone to direct it at. She *sobbed, "Liar."*

Giles didn't know what to say to that. "There has never been a watcher to even suggest that his slayer not undergo this test. However, a few months ago, I approached Quentin about it and told him that I thought that this test as they called it, was outdated and barbaric and life threatening. I told him that there had to be another way of testing a Slayer without the use of her powers, a written test would do the same thing, and when we talked a few days ago and he told me that they developed another test that wouldn't endanger your life. I truly had no reason not trust the council once they said that they wouldn't do this test."

*Buffy ran her hands through her hair in disbelief of her betrayal, * "What was the whole plan?"

"Well, when Quentin told me to perform this test, *my role in this... was very specific. I was to administer the injections and to direct you to the old boardinghouse on Prescott Lane.* They still used that old boardinghouse. *I am deeply sorry, Buffy," he reached out to her* and she went into his fatherly arms and cried. *Giles imploringly continued, "You have to listen to me. Because I've told you this, the test is invalidated. You will be safe now, I promise you. Now, whatever I have to do to deal with Kralik... and to win back your trust..."

Buffy interrupted and sobbed,* "_Travers_ *stuck a needle in me.* _He_*poisoned me!* _Not _you. You were lied to. And you're right, you didn't know that you couldn't trust the council. I trust _you._ But I don't trust Travers." Buffy stepped back and tried to dry up her tears.

*Behind them Cordelia walked into the library, "What's going on?" She saw Buffy's tear-streaked face, "Oh, God. Is the world ending? I have to research a paper on Bosnia for tomorrow, but if the world's ending, I'm not gonna bother."

Buffy started to walk out of the library, and Giles desperately said, "You can't walk home alone, Buffy. It isn't safe." Buffy stopped* and Giles asked, "Is Angel home? I can call him or I can take you home myself."

*Cordelia didn't understand and looked at her* as she said, "No, he had to go L.A. for a few hours. I was heading to my mom's."

"Alright then, I'll drive you to your mother's house."

"No, you need to stay here and warn Travers that he better leave town." *She turned around, "Cordelia, could you please drive me* to my mother's?"

*Cordelia was surprised, "Of course." Buffy turned and walked out. Cordelia told Giles, "But if the world doesn't end, I'm gonna need a note." She followed Buffy out of the library.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy walked through the dining room and saw the front door standing open. Taped to the doorframe was a Polaroid photo. She walked over to it and pulled it down to look at it. It was of her mother with Kralik behind her holding her by the neck. She turned the picture over, and on the back was written "come".

Buffy went up to her* old *room* where she had stored some emergency weapons. *She had a heavy leather bag open on her bed. She pulled a knife and several stakes from her trunk and dropped them into the bag. At her* old *desk she opened the top left drawer* where she had kept *her Slayer stuff and pulled out a bottle of Holy Water* that she had left. *She dropped this into the pocket of her coveralls. She closed the bag and heaved it up by the strap and onto her shoulder. It was very heavy, and she had to lean to the side quite a bit to counterbalance it as she walked out of her* old *room.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy opened the door to the boardinghouse quietly, and looked in. She had her crossbow up and ready. The front rooms were empty and quiet, so she stepped in. She took one of her stakes and put it down between the door and the frame to keep it open. Again she raised her bow and looked around the front rooms. She stepped in further and looked through the archway into the sitting room. There fire was going in the fireplace. She walked once around the room and then set her bag down on the old couch. She continued to explore the area quietly, her fear and nervousness was evident in her face. She approached a door and cautiously took hold of the knob. Quickly, she twisted it and pulled the door open, only to find that it had been bricked up on the other side. She closed it again. Buffy spun around to face the door when it slammed shut.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Giles was on the phone trying to reach Quentin. The other end of the line kept ringing. Just then Quentin appeared at the door and walked in. Giles saw him and sets the phone back down in its cradle, "I was just trying to reach you."

"I was on watch over by the boardinghouse."*

"You lied to me!"

"Yes. The test was to go on and I couldn't have you interfering."

"You also removed some of my books."

"I couldn't have them finding out about this now could I? I had to assume that The Slayer would start to research it. Don't worry, I have put back the books since it's too late to do anything about it now."

"If you were at the boardinghouse, *then you know what's happened."

"Yes."

Giles was beyond angry, "He's killed Hobson and made Blair one of his own. Your perfectly controlled test seems to have spun rather impressively out of control, don't you think?"

Quentin turned and gave him a long look, then paced back the other way to the teapot and lifted the lid, "It changes nothing."

"Well, then, allow me," Giles leaned on his desk, "I've told Buffy everything."

Quentin looked up from the teapot, "That is in direct opposition to the Council's orders." He set the lid back down,* "Once you knew that we were performing the test without you, you knew you couldn't say anything to her."

*Giles crossed his arms, "Yes. Interestingly, I don't give a rat's ass about the Council's orders. There will be no test."

Quentin poured a cup of tea, "The test has already begun. Your Slayer entered the field of play about ten minutes ago."

Giles stood up, surprised, "Why?"

"I don't know. I returned there just as she entered." Giles grabbed his keys from his desk and started out of the office. Quentin tried to stop him, "Now Giles, we've no business..."

Giles grabbed him by the coat and shoved him up against the doorframe, "This is _not_ business!" He let the other man go and walked out of the library.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy slowly moved out of the sitting room of the boardinghouse back into the foyer. She looked around before entering it, and then went back over to the door to check it. It's locked shut. She yanked at it several times, but she couldn't budge it. Blair came up behind her and growled. Buffy spun around and aimed the crossbow at him. She pulled the trigger, but the bolt flew right past his face. Blair grabbed the bow, jerked it out of her hands and threw it down. He grabbed her by the throat and began to choke her. Buffy grabbed onto his arms and stomped on his foot. Blair let go. She shoved him aside and ran into the sitting room. She opened her bag and tried to reach in, but Blair reached for her over the back of the couch. Buffy jumped away and ran to the far wall by the bookcase. Blair moved to follow, but Buffy pushed the bookcase over on top of him. He struggled underneath it, but couldn't lift it off. Buffy climbed over it and went to her bag, opened it and reached in. Blair reached out from under the bookcase and grabbed her ankle. Buffy screamed and looked around for a weapon. She spied the andirons, grabbed the tongs, and started to whale on Blair's arm. She had to hit him several times before he finally let go. Buffy grabbed her bag and ran out of the room. She stopped in the hallway and looked around.

Somewhere Kralik is watching her, and he taunted her, "Hide and seeeek..." She looks all around her and he goaded again, "Hide and seek!" She saw Kralik's crate. The crate door was closed and looked locked. She approached it, and it suddenly swung open. Kralik jumped out and grabbed her by the throat. Buffy gasped in fright, but didn't struggle. "Why did you come to the dark of the woods?" He yanked her bag out of her hands and looked into it. Inside was a smaller bow, several stakes and a few knives. "To bring all these sweets to grandmother's house?" He dropped the bag and pulled her closer. Buffy surprised him by holding up a cross. He leapt back from her in fear. She held it out at arm's length, shaking nervously. Kralik stared at her for a while, smiling evilly, then suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled it and the cross into his chest. There he rubbed it around and laughed as it burned against his skin. "Oh-oh, no, no. Just a little lower," he nudged it down, "Right...," he inhaled in ecstasy, "Oh, yes. Yes. Oh. Oooh! Thank you very much."*

Buffy was thinking the whole time he held the cross to himself, _Oh gosh! He likes the pain just like Angelus. _Only she was revolted by Kralik liking the pain. When Angelus liked the pain, well… that was different.

*Buffy let go of the cross and ran in terror. Kralik just smiled and watched her run. She ran into the kitchen and locked the door. Hobson's remains were still there. She noticed the body but didn't have time to really look at it before she was distracted by Kralik pounding on the door. She ran to the counter and searched through the drawers looking for anything she could use. She finds nothing, but then looked up when the pounding stopped. Her breathing was shallow and she was panting with fear. She looked around again, but couldn't find anything of use. Slowly she stepped back to the door and quietly opened it.

The coast was clear, so she went into the hall. She constantly looked around as she made her way toward the stairs. When she was almost there she made a dash for them and started to run up. Kralik punched his arm through the railing and tripped her, making her fall and cut her forehead against the steps. He grabbed her leg and pulled her down a ways. She struggled to get away. She grabbed a broken piece of the railing and stabbed at his arm with it. He let go and decided to run up the stairs after her. Buffy scrambled to her feet, ran to the top and started down the hall. At a bend in the hall she stopped and looked around. The hallway was empty, so she ran to the first door. It was locked, so she went to the next. It opened, and she ran in, slamming the door behind her. The room was pitch dark. Buffy searched around until she found a string hanging from the ceiling. She pulled it and the light turned on. She stared in shock at the walls around her. They were covered with Polaroid's of her mother. She grabbed one off the wall to make sure.

Just then she heard Kralik pounding at the door. He punched through and reached in, searching for the knob to unlock it. She ran to another door, opened it, and ran out into the hall. Just as she reached the end, Kralik stepped out in front of her, "If you stray from the path, you will lose your way." He reached out and put his hand on her cheek. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong and bent down toward her neck. Kralik reassuringly told her, "I won't take it all. I won't take it all." She strained hard to keep him at bay. Suddenly Kralik had an attack of some sort. He grabbed his head and began to scream. Buffy tried to get past him, but he shoved her into the wall, stunning her. He pulled out his pill bottle and struggled to get it open. Buffy regained her head and grabbed the bottle out of his hands. She ran down the hall away from him. "No! No! No!"

He had a hard time going after her with the pain in his head. Buffy reached the far end of the hall and leapt into the laundry chute. Kralik looked down the chute and heard her sliding, but didn't follow. Instead he staggered back the other way.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

Buffy slid out of the chute and onto a table in the basement. It broke beneath her, and she fell to the floor in a cloud of dust. Her mother was there, tied to a chair and gagged, and saw her daughter fall, "Buffy?" Buffy got up and scrambled over to her mother. She tried to untie her, but couldn't. Buffy heard her mother's muffled voice, "Buffy, we have to get out..."

They heard pounding at the basement door. Buffy stopped struggling with the ropes. Kralik smashed the door in and came running down the stairs demanding his pills, "Where are they? Where are they?!"

He ran into the room, and Buffy faked trying to get past him and up the stairs. He grabbed her and shoved her against a wall. He saw the pill bottle in her hands and snatched it from her. He struggles with the lid as he stumbled over to where he saw a glass of water near the wine racks. He got the lid off, popped a couple of pills and gulped down the water. He gasped for air and took several deep breaths as he began to calm down, knowing that the medicine should soon take effect. He smiled evilly over at Buffy and took some forced steps in her direction. Buffy just watched him come toward her.

He started to talk to her again, "You don't seem to understand your place in all of this. Do you have any idea..." Suddenly, he realized something was very wrong and stopped in his tracks. "Oh, my!" he looked down at the glass in his hand, "What have you..." He began to shake and looked back up at Buffy, "My pills!" She pulled the now-empty bottle of Holy Water from her pocket and held it up for him to see. He dropped the glass and began to shake violently, grunting and groaning in pain. "No. No..." Smoke began to puff out of his clothes.

Buffy watched coolly, "If I was at full Slayer power, I'd be punning right about now."

"No! No!" he screamed loudly one final time, and then crumbled to ashes from the inside out. Buffy closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. She pocketed the bottle and rushed over to her mother. She pulled the gag from her mouth and began to work on the ropes again.

Joyce was breathing heavily, "Buffy, thank God you're okay. Oh, that man..."

Buffy was straining, "I can't get these. They're too tight."

"Can't you just..." she jerked in her chair suggesting that Buffy just tear the ropes.

Buffy looked around, "Not right now. Maybe there's some clippers around." She stood up to look around, when suddenly Blair lunged at her. Giles was right behind him.

Joyce tried to warn her daughter, "Oh, Buffy!"

Blair grabbed Giles and threw him against a shelf rack. Blair punched him in the face and in the gut. Giles doubled over, but trusted up with his arm, plunging a stake into Blair's chest. He burst into ashes. Slowly, Giles straightens up. He and Buffy look at each other for a long time.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

"Congratulations, you passed," Travers told Buffy.

They were in the school library. Buffy was sitting at the table while Travers stood calmly at the head as he spoke. Giles leaned in the doorway to his office.

"You exhibited extraordinary courage and clear-headedness in battle. The Council is very pleased."

"Do I get a gold star?" Buffy deadpanned.

"I understand that you're upset..."

Buffy could barely control her fury, "You understand _nothing_. You set that monster loose, and he came after my mother."

"You think the test was unfair?"

"I think you better leave town before I get my strength back."* _Make that you better leave tonight before Angel gets back in town,_ she thought to herself.

*Travers evenly said, "We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war."

"You're _waging_ a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference," Giles corrected him.

"Mr. Giles, if you don't mind..."

"The test is done. We're finished."

"Not quite. She passed. You didn't." Travers faced Giles, "The Slayer is not the only one who must perform in this situation. I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired."

Giles was taken aback, "On what grounds?"

"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment." Buffy looked at Giles as Travers continued, "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause." Giles looked down* he couldn't say anything to that because it was true that he thought of Buffy as a daughter. More so now that he and Joyce had started a relationship. *Travers continued, "It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."

Buffy broke her stare, and considered Traver's words.* She didn't know what she would do if Giles obeyed the council now. It looked as though he was the only father she had now. She didn't think that Hank was working, but rather that he had chosen not to come and see her for her birthday.

*Giles said with hostility, "I'm not going anywhere."

"No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher, or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"

"Oh, we're very clear," Giles said dangerously.

Quentin bowed slightly to Buffy, "Congratulations again."

She looked up at him with a stare of hatred, and vehemently said, "Bite me."

Quentin chuckled ruefully, "Yes, well, colorful girl."

He turned and left the library. Giles looked up again and put on his glasses. He looked over at Buffy. She gazed down into space for a moment, then sniffed and put her hand to her forehead. She sniffed again, reaching out for the cloth that was lying on the table next to a bowl of water, and picked it up. Giles walked over to her and put his hand on the cloth. She let him take it from her hand. He dipped it in the water and knelt down in front of her, reached out and gently pats it over the gash in her forehead. She winced in pain, but didn't pull away. She looked up at her Watcher sadly for a moment, and then lowered her eyes. Giles turned the now-bloody cloth over and continued to lightly dab it on her wound.*

A few minutes later, Angel walked into the library and the smell of his Mate's blood hit him, "What happened?"

"How did you know I was here?" Buffy asked after Giles had explained to Angel what had happened with Quentin.

"When you weren't home, I went to your mom's and she told me that you were here."

"Oh."

"Quentin just better be glad that I didn't know what was going on or I would have …." Angel growled.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

*The whole gang – including Joyce - had come over* to the mansion *for a visit. Buffy and Xander were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Willow brought a jug of lemonade over to them at the island.

Willow said, "I can't believe Giles was fired. How could Giles get fired?"

"So, how did you manage to kill Kralik?" Oz asked.

Joyce smiled, "Oh, she was very clever." Buffy raised her eyebrows at her. "Uh, you go ahead and tell it, dear. You tell it better."

Buffy sighed* and Angel proudly said, "She tricked him into drinking a glass of Holy Water."

*"Now, now when you say 'fired', do you mean 'fired'?" Willow asked.

"You're not cruising past that concept any time soon, are you?" Xander realized.

"Well, it's just... I mean, he's been _fired_! He's, he's unemployed! He's... between jobs."

"Giles isn't going anywhere, Will. He's still librarian," Buffy reminded her.

"Okay, but I'm writing an angry letter," Willow conceded.

"You know, nothing's really gonna change. The important thing is that I kept up my special birthday tradition of gut-wrenching misery and horror."

"Bright side to everything," Oz expressionlessly said.

Buffy grabbed a new jar of peanut butter and tried to open it. She sighed, "Just feel better when I get my strength back."

"Give you a hand with that, little lady?" Xander asked. He stood up and held out his hand to take it from her.

She handed it to him, "You're loving this far too much."

"Admit it," Xander said as he tried to open it, "Sometimes you just need a big strong man." He smiled as he struggled with the jar for a while, then tried to cover it with a laugh. "Uh, Will, gimme a hand with that?"* Angel took the jar and opened it without any effort. "Sure _you_ can open it. You have vamp strength." Xander joked around.

~*#~*#~*#~*#

* * *

After they ate their sandwiches, Giles came over and brought with him cake. It didn't have any decoration on it at all. But Buffy looked to her friends and family and said, "No, no party."

"It's not a party. It's just a few friends eating cake together," Joyce smiled at her.

"And a few friends giving presents to another friend. No party," Angel said.

"Presents? There's presents?" Buffy perked up. "Give me!" And everyone laughed.


	7. Chapter 7 Angel's Revenge

WAWO Book 2 Chapter 7 Angel's Revenge

A/N & _**WARNING**_: In this chapter one of the major cannon characters is raped. There is nothing graphic in this rating. However, the NC-17/M rating version does have graphic torture (The rape itself is not graphic). If you cannot/don't want to read about rape and/or torture, then you can skip this chapter. I will be posting in the author's notes of the next chapter who was raped, so that you are caught up to speed. Due to the seriousiness and heavy topic of this chapter, I will be trying to post Chapter 8 tomorrow or this next week at the latest.

I have been working on this since the beginning. I'm nervous about everyone's reaction to it. While I have lost the original copy of this chapter with all beta's names on it, I do know that the betas from Chapter 1 of Book 1 were involved with this chapter as well as my current Beta Team. If you or someone you know has helped out with this chapter and I haven't mentioned you, then please accept my apologies and let me know. I want to thank all my betas, and any mistakes you see are mine, since I didn't _always_ take their advice.

This chapter starts the day after Helpless ends. Oh and all the instances where God's name is taken in vain were before I got convicted of it and stopped doing it in my fics. With this chapter, I just couldn't take it out because I this is what I think that the characters would say. And if it's in the transcripts, I'm leaving it because I'm not the one that wrote it.

~#*~!#*

"Did Travers leave town?" Buffy asked Giles the following morning.

"I guess he left this morning. I'm not really sure. They fired me, remember?" Giles answered.

Snyder walked into the library with a well dressed young man, "There you are, Summers."

"MacKenzie. It's MacKenzie now, Principal Snyder," Buffy reminded him.

"Yeah, whatever. You just volunteered to show our new student around today. This is Tom Adams. Mr. Adams, this is Buffy _MacKenzie,_" Principal Snyder said as he struggled to acknowledge that Buffy was married. "Mr. Adams' father can make a huge contribution to this school. So don't mess this up!" Snyder added in a whisper that he thought that Tom couldn't hear.

Buffy rolled her eyes, figuring that it was useless to argue and seeing no harm in showing the new kid around school, said, "Hi, Tom. It's nice to meet you. Let's look at your schedule, and see what books you will need." She took Tom's schedule and without looking at it handed it to Giles. Giles took a look at the schedule and went into the book cage and retrieved Tom's books and handed his books and schedule back to him. Buffy looked at his schedule and noticed that Tom's first class was on the opposite side of the campus from her first class. She turned to complain to Principal Snyder, but he was gone.

Giles, noticing something was bothering Buffy, asked, "Is something wrong, Buffy?"

"It's just that Tom's first class is clear across the campus from my first class. Which will make me late."

"I'll write a note for you," Giles said amused. It never seemed to amaze him that since she and Angel got married, she took an interest in her studies and tried to be in class as much as possible. Of course with her slaying, sometimes that wasn't possible and Willow would give her the work to do at home. Giles wrote a note to Buffy's first hour teacher explaining that she was showing a new student around the campus and handed it to her.

"Thanks, Giles. See ya," Buffy said.

"Bye," Giles answered.

Buffy and Tom walked out of the library, and Tom said, "The librarian seems nice."

"He is. And he's under-appreciated," Buffy said as she walked down the hall towards Tom's locker. Even though Buffy was thinking about the Watcher's Council firing him, Tom didn't know anything about that.

Tom just nodded his head not sure what to say to that. "So, Principal Snyder said that you spend most of your free time in the library. Would you be able to help me get caught up in my classes?"

"Uh, actually, Willow Rosenberg would be able to help you more than I can. She loves to tutor."

"I was hoping that you could help me."

"Um, I think that Willow would be more helpful."

"Well, how about you and me go out tonight then," and without waiting for Buffy to answer he added, "What Principal Snyder said about my father making a huge contribution to this school is true. He is the CEO of the new Wolfram and Heart firm here in Sunnydale."

"Uh, sorry, I can't go out with you."

"Oh wait don't tell me. You have a really jealous boyfriend."

"No, I don't have a _*boyfriend*_…"

"Then why can't you go out with me?" Tom interrupted before Buffy could finish.

"Because, I have a husband who would not like me going out with another guy on a date," Buffy said with a smile. "Here's your locker. You have Math first, so you can put your other books in your locker."

Buffy showed Tom to his class and then raced across the campus to her class. She was late, but showed the note to her teacher. "Buffy, I just handed out the last book. You'll need to go to the library to get another copy of The Complete Edgar Allan Poe Tales."

Tom was not used to not getting what he wanted. And he wanted Buffy. He didn't believe for one minute that she was married. And it wouldn't matter even if he did believe her. He wanted her and he would have her one way or another. How dare she wear a short leather skirt and a shirt with a V-cut collar and then tell him that she won't go out with him. He would show her what happens when a girl tells him no! He was so angry that she had turned him down, that he followed her to her class after she left him at his class. Snyder was so money and power hungry that he wouldn't dare do anything to him for fear of loosing the money that his father had promised the school. He didn't know Snyder personally, but Snyder was just like a thousand other men, who when faced with a large monetary donation, over looked all bad things about him.

When Buffy came out of her classroom shortly after walking in, Tom had no where to hide. "I'm lost; I was looking for the bathroom."

"Oh well, um, you passed it up," Buffy said, not believing him. "I've got to go back to the library. There's one on the way, so just follow me."

When they reached the boy's bathroom, Tom pulled her in the bathroom and said, "You wear revealing clothes and tease me and then tell me that you won't go out with me? Make up some lie about being married? I don't think so!" He pushed her roughly against the wall and began to push up her skirt.

Buffy tried to push him away. When she failed, she became terrified. She screamed out, "NO! STOP! HELP!"

"Go ahead and scream! No one can hear you. Everyone is in class," Tom arrogantly said.

When she yelled out, for whatever reason, Angel heard her and felt her terror. Never before had they been able to talk telepathically unless their skin was touching each other. But this time, she was able to let him know that she was in danger and needed help. He wasted no time getting dressed and running down the sewer tunnels to the school where his wife was. He felt her pain and terror. He got to the school library as soon as he could. He burst into the library, and asked Giles frantically, "Where is she?"

"Uh, she should be in her first hour class. Why, what's wrong, Angel?"

"She's hurt and terrified," Giles gave him a puzzled look. "I don't have time to explain. Just help me find her."

"Ok. She has English first. It's this way," Giles said as they walked toward Buffy's English class.

As they passed one of the boys' bathrooms, Angel heard a soft crying sound. Angel went into the bathroom and saw his wife, her clothes torn, cuts and bruises all over face and huddled against the wall crying. She looked up and saw her husband. Angel gathered her up into his arms. _"I fought. I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't, Angel." _She said telepathically before she broke into sobs. It took all that he had to hold back the flood of tears in his own eyes. As the first tear ran down his face, he forced the rest back. He needed to be strong for his beloved.

He started whispering to her in Gaelic around his fangs. As soon as he had his anger and demon under control, he told her, "Whoever did this will pay, I promise."

"Angel?" Giles' voice came from the doorway.

"She's in here, Giles," Angel answered as he took off his coat and wrapped around Buffy's shoulders to cover up what her torn clothes could not.

"Buffy what are…," he stopped cold when he saw her. "Good Lord! What happened?"

Angel picked up his bride and started to carry her to the library all the while telepathically talking soothingly to her in Gaelic.

Buffy told Angel telepathically what had happened. _"A new kid. Tom Adams. Snyder made me show him around. It made me late for class. I had to go get a book from Giles for class. Tom pulled me into the boys' bathroom. I tried to fight, I did. But he was stronger. Please don't hate me."_

"_I don't hate you, Muirnín. He will pay I promise. He will never do this to anyone else again. I promise you," _Angel assured her.

Halfway to the library, Snyder saw them. "Mrs. MacKenzie, you may be married, but you need to be in class right now." Then he looked up at Angel and said, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because she needs me," Angel said.

Snyder saw the bruises and cuts and said, "Been fighting again I see. Well this time you aren't going to get away with it. You're suspended for three days."

"Snyder, if you suspend my wife for trying to defend and protect herself, you better expel that new kid, Tom Adams for rape!" Angel growled as he sidestepped around the little man and continued toward the library.

"GOOD LORD!" Giles exclaimed and ran after Angel.

"The little slut is just ashamed at being caught by her husband is all. Tom Adams means more to this school than a trouble maker like Buffy!"

"_Don't, Angel. I need you right now."_

Buffy's telepathic plea was the only thing that saved Snyder from Angel. However, nothing saved him from Ripper as he shoved Snyder up against the lockers. "You listen to me, now! Buffy did nothing to bring this on herself! How dare you even imply that she would cheat on her husband! You will give her excused absences for as long as she needs them because of this," Ripper then let go of Snyder and went after Buffy and Angel. When he entered the library, he saw Angel sitting in one of the chairs at the table holding and rocking Buffy. "Uh, she's not suspended, but she does have excused absences for as long as she needs it." He paused then continued, "I'm really sorry about this. I should have never trusted the Council on this test."

"_It's not his fault. He was lied to. Don't let him blame himself,"_ Buffy pleaded with Angel.

"Giles, she doesn't blame you and she doesn't want you to blame yourself."

"_Angel, I need to get out of these clothes. I have a change of clothes in my locker for P.E."_

"Giles, she says she has a change of clothes in her locker," Angel started to tell Giles what Buffy wanted.

"I'll call Willow to get them for you," Giles interrupted correctly guessing what Buffy was wanting. He walked over to the PA system and announced, "I need Willow Rosenberg in the library please."

Willow looked up when she heard Giles' voice over the intercom. When she heard her name she looked up at her teacher, who gave a nod of approval and then she went to the library. She wasn't sure why Giles would need her, but the only way to find out was to go to the library. When she walked into the library, she saw Angel holding and rocking Buffy. "Hey, guys, what's up?" she asked.

"Willow, could you go to Buffy locker and get her change of clothes?" Giles asked.

"Sure," Willow said confused as to the reason why Buffy couldn't get her clothes herself. "I just need your locker combination."

"_33-26-50"_

"33-26-50," Angel repeated what Buffy said telepathically.

"Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can," Willow said. She was now very concerned that something was very wrong. Just as she got to Buffy's locker, the bell rang. Willow got Buffy's change of clothes and then started back to the library.

"Will, what's up? Why did Giles want you in the middle of class?" Xander asked with Oz and Cordelia close behind.

"Guys, something's very wrong. Angel's here and Buffy's not talking. Well not out loud anyway. Giles asked me to get Buffy's extra clothes from her locker. I told Buffy I would need her combination and a minute later, _Angel_ gave it to me. I gotta get these to Buffy."

"We're coming with," Xander said as they headed to the library.

"Here are your clothes, Buffy. What's wrong?" Willow asked as she handed the clothes to Buffy.

"_Not now, Will."_

"Tell you later," Angel said as he carried Buffy to Giles' office and closed the door and curtains so that she could get dressed.

"Giles, what happened?" Willow asked.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't trusted Quentin, then this would not have happened," Giles said.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Xander exclaimed.

Giles looked up and said, "I'm not sure that it's my place to tell you."

"But it's real bad, huh?" Cordy asked.

"Yes, it's real bad and personal. I'm sure she'll tell you when she gets ready."

"She wants you to tell them," Angel said from the office doorway. "I'm taking her home. Willow, here are her car keys. Please drive her car to the mansion after school."

"Sure," Willow said dazed. Buffy never let anyone but Angel drive the car that he bought her shortly after they were engaged. The only time that she didn't drive the car was when she was patrolling.

Angel and Buffy walked out of the library with Buffy leaning on Angel. Angel had his hand around Buffy's waist, under her shirt so that his hand was touching her bare skin. _"I think you need to go to the hospital, _Muirnín_. At least then they will have evidence."_

"_No, Angel, not right now."_

"_I'll be right there, I promise. I won't leave you there. We need to do this as soon as possible."_

"_Yeah, but then I'll have to talk and I can't talk right now. If I talk then I'll break."_

"_I'll be there the whole time."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise,"_ Angel reassured her as he kissed the top of her head. When Buffy was too sore to walk, Angel picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to the hospital. At the hospital, a female nurse performed a rape kit and had a police officer take her statement. Even though she had to take breaks because of sobbing, she told them everything that happened. She also told them who raped her. Angel kept his promise and didn't leave her sight the whole time they were there. After the police got her statement, Angel took her home.

~#*~!#*

Back at school, as soon as Angel and Buffy were in the hallway, Willow asked Giles, "What happened?"

Giles sighed. "I told the Council that their test for the Slayer on her 18th birthday was dangerous. Quentin told me that there was another test that only he could perform. I realized too late that Quentin was giving her injections to take away her Slayer strength. Which is why I objected to the test to begin with! While she should regain her strength by this time next week, it allowed her to be raped. I don't know by who or anything. All I know is about half an hour to forty-five minutes ago, Angel burst in here demanding to know where Buffy was. He said that she was hurt and terrified. We searched for her and Angel found her in one of the boys' bathrooms. That's all I know right now."

"Oh man," Willow said as she sank down into a chair.

Xander's face was so red that Giles wondered if the boy was breathing.

Oz, who was usually pretty good at hiding his emotions, was clearly angry.

Cordy said, "So we have a rapist on campus? We need to call Buffy and get her to tell us who it is, so that I don't get raped."

"Cordelia! Buffy isn't talking to anyone right now but to Angel and that's only through their telepathic link," Giles said. Then he calmed down and said, "But you are right. Neither of you girls should be walking around here alone until this boy is caught." Then Giles remembered what Angel told Snyder. "Oh wait. Angel told Snyder that it was the new kid, Tom Adams. So you girls need to stay away from him." Then as an after thought he added, "You boys stay away from him, too. Let the authorities take care of it."

Willow went to the computer and typed in a few keystrokes and looked up and said, "Tom Adams's father is Larry Adams. He works for Wolfram and Heart, a huge law firm that just opened up a branch here in Sunnydale. They made him the CEO of the Sunnydale Branch. He donated $50,000 to this school to get Snyder to accept Tom. It says here that Tom has been kicked out of every school in LA for sexual harassment of one or more female students. Let me check the Police database." She typed in a few more keystrokes. "He's been charged with rape before, but the charges were dropped. It doesn't say why."

"Good Lord! You mean this isn't the first time?" Giles inquired.

Willow shook her head no, "What are we going to do?"

"Well, Buffy won't be bought off. Right?" Cordelia said as she looked around the room.

"I don't think it was the victim that was bought, but the Police Department and the D.A. Three days after the charges were dropped a total of two million dollars was donated to the police department _and_ the D.A. office," Willow said after she typed some more on the computer. Giles started to walk toward his office. "Where are you going?"

"Someone needs to call Joyce and I don't think that Angel is thinking about that right now. I'm going to call her and let her know what happened."

"Are you going to tell her about the payoff?" Oz asked.

"No. Hopefully this police department won't be bought off."

~#*~!#*

A couple of hours later, the police showed up at the school and arrested Tom Adams. Snyder promised to call Mr. Adams as the police led Tom to their patrol car and was taken to the station.

Mr. Adams met them at the police station with a suitcase full of cash and bought off the officers that had arrested his son. He also acquired a copy of the police report and took his son home. He read the police report and picked up the phone and got the address from Snyder where Buffy lived and then left, leaving his son alone in the house.

~#*~!#*

When Buffy and Angel arrived home, Angel saw Joyce sitting on the couch. He didn't say a word, just carried his wife up to their bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Buffy was sleeping, so he went down to the living room to talk to Joyce.

"Giles called and told me what happened. I came over to see her, but you weren't here, so I let myself in using the key that you keep hidden in the pool house."

"That's fine. I, uh, I took her to the hospital. After she told the police what happened, they gave her a sedative. She's asleep right now."

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"Yeah, you could go get these prescriptions filled for her."

"Sure. What are they?"

"One is a sedative, to help her sleep. One is a muscle relaxer and the other is a painkiller."

"A painkiller? But she heals fast."

"Not until the drugs that the Watcher's Council gave her wears off. And until then, she'll need the painkillers."

"Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Thanks."

~#*~!#*

At two p.m. there was a knock on the mansion door. Joyce wasn't back from the drug store yet with Buffy's medication, and Buffy was still sleeping. Angel had laid down beside her and was holding her when he heard the knock on the door. He gently got out of the bed and went to answer the door.

Mr. Adams was looking for a man who could be the father of an eighteen year old. When Angel opened the door, he thought Angel was too young to be her father. "I'm looking for Mr. MacKenzie."

"I'm Mr. MacKenzie."

Mr. Adams smiled, thinking that the young man at the door was Buffy's older brother, he said, "Let me be a little clearer. I'm looking for the father of Buffy MacKenzie."

"Then you're looking for Mr. Summers. I'm Buffy's husband."

Mr. Adams was stunned. An eighteen year old high school student that was married? Well stranger things have happened. "I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't realize she was married."

"What is this about?" Angel asked.

"Uh, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Larry Adams. May I come in to discuss some important business with you?"

Angel recognized the last name as being the last name of the boy who had raped his wife and assumed that this was the boy's father. "No. What do you want?"

Mr. Adams was again stunned. He never had some one refused to allow him to go into their home to talk to them. "You might find what I have to say important."

"Then say it," Angel said still in the shadows.

"Mr. MacKenzie, it might be easier if I came in."

Angel just looked at him, but opened the door a little wider and Mr. Adams walked in. "Mr. MacKenzie, I'll get straight to the point. How much will it take for your wife to drop the charges against my son?"

Even though Angel did a very good job hiding his anger, Mr. Adams could have sworn that Angel's eyes flashed gold for the tiniest millisecond. "No amount of money could force us to drop the charges, _Mr. Adams_. Now I believe that you know your way out."

"Mr. MacKenzie, if you go through with this, we will sue you for slander and take every penny that you have. You have no proof that she was raped. Just proof that she had sex with my son."

"The hospital exam is our proof that she was raped, Mr. Adams. Your son will pay for what he did to my wife. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. On second thought, let the door hit your ass on the way out."

~#*~!#*

Angel was pacing the living room floor going through his mental catalogue of torture techniques that he had used before he got his soul back, when Joyce walked through the front door. She noticed Angel slipping in and out of his vampire face. "Angel, are you ok?"

"That _boy's_ father just tried to buy us off so that we would drop the charges!"

"Angel calm down. I'm sure the police have the boy in custody now. The fact that his father was here trying to get you to drop the charges, is a good sign that they have already arrested him. Here is Buffy's medicine. Now, why don't you go and check on her while I start to fix some dinner," Angel nodded and left to go upstairs to his and Buffy's bedroom. After Angel had left, Joyce thought angrily, _How dare they try to buy her off! As if she would take the money and drop the charges! My daughter knows better than that. She can't be bought off!_

When Angel crossed the threshold of his room, he noticed that Buffy was tossing, turning and crying in her sleep as she spoke softly, "No. Stop. Don't do this. Please somebody help me."

Angel went over to her and gently woke her up. "It's ok. I'm here. It was just a dream."

Buffy opened her eyes, _"Angel?"_

"Yeah, Muirnín, it's me," he said and held her as she cried. When she calmed down a bit, Angel told her, "Your mother is here. Giles called her and told her what happened."

"_But she had a business trip…."_

"She cancelled it. She wanted to be here for you."

Buffy didn't say anything, but she was glad that her mother would be there for her.

~#*~!#*

At four in the afternoon, Willow, Xander, Oz, Cordelia, and Giles showed up at the mansion. Willow knocked on the door.

"That's probably Willow returning your car and checking up on you. I'm going to go down and get your keys."

"_I'll come with you."_

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

Buffy nodded her head yes, and then followed Angel out of the bedroom. Joyce had already let the gang inside. They were sitting in the living room. When Willow noticed Buffy coming down the stairs, she asked, "How are you doing? Is there anything we can do?"

Buffy shook her head no and Angel said, "There's really nothing anyone can do right now. I took her to the hospital before we came home, and they examined her and a policewoman took a statement from her and said that they would take it from there." Angel sat on the couch and Buffy sat next to him and leaned on him for support.

"Well, the police came to the school and arrested him," Giles stated.

Willow interrupted him, "But I wouldn't count on him staying there for long." Buffy and Angel looked at Willow confused and she continued. "I got into his records and the police files. It seems as though he was accused in LA but his father, who works for Wolfram and Heart, bought off the LAPD and the LA D.A. Three days after the charges were dropped, a grand total of two million dollars was donated to the LAPD _and_ the LA D.A. office. It seems as though Wolfram and Heart is opening a new branch here in Sunnydale and Mr. Adams is the CEO of the Sunnydale Branch of Wolfram and Heart."

"Angel said that Mr. Adams came by and offered them money to drop the charges," Joyce spoke up.

"Yeah well, I wouldn't expect this to go to trial." Cordelia said. "Wolfram and Heart is a powerful law firm in LA. And they specialize in getting the scum of the earth off of any charges. They very rarely if ever loose a case." Everyone stared at her. "What? I heard my daddy talking about them the other day."

Just then the phone rang. Angel got up and answered it. "Hello…this is him…really?...thank you…yes, I will…again thank you for letting me know. Bye." Angel sighed and sat back down by his mate. "That was the officer that took Buffy's statement at the hospital. She said that Tom never made it to the station. When she went to look up some information in the report that she filled out, her report was gone. She suspects that the arresting officers were paid off, but she has no proof. She even called the D.A. office and the D.A. told her that Buffy was mistaken; that it wasn't Tom Adams and all charges were dropped."

Buffy's face went white and she looked into Angel's eyes. "_What? So nothing's going to happen to him?"_

"I promise you, Muirnín, he will pay," Angel said deadly.

"_How, Angel? If he's not going to jail, how will he pay? You're going to merit out the punishment?" _She saw the look in his eyes, and then she continued with her telepathic conversation. _"My God! Angel! No, I can't let you do it!"_

"Buffy, you are the most precious thing in my life. He hurt you and he will pay. I swore to you on our Bond that I would protect you and our family and I will keep that vow."

"_Angel, no, don't. Please. I can't let you kill a human,"_ Buffy begged telepathically.

"Buffy, he has to pay."

"_Angel…"_

"Buffy, as your Watcher, I order you to stay out of it," Giles said sensing that Buffy was putting up a silent fight with Angel.

Buffy looked at Giles as if he had grown a second head. A second later, Angel said, "She said that you're not her Watcher anymore. You were fired, remember?"

"Buffy…"

Buffy looked into her love's eyes and telepathically said, _"I have to protect humanity. Both you and Giles taught me that." _

Giles saw the sadness and frustration in Angel's eyes and said, "Buffy, let your husband protect you this time."

Everyone could see the tears in Buffy's eyes and Angel said, "She said that she can't let her feelings get in the way of her slaying."

"We're not asking you to!" Giles shouted.

"_I can't just sit here and let it happen!"_

"And I can't just sit here and not do anything!" Angel told her out loud.

They just stared at one another. Angel was trying to find something to promise, but not promise anything to keep him from doing what he needed to do when Willow gently said, "Buffy, if he isn't stopped somehow, then he will keep on raping women. And it is your job to protect humans, right? So by letting Angel take care of him, you will be protecting humans from a rapist that the police refuse to punish."

Buffy looked at her best friend. Willow had a point. But for some reason, Buffy didn't feel right about it. She looked at her mate and telepathically said, "_I can't be a part of it. Please just promise me that you won't go looking for him."_

"I promise I won't go looking for him," Angel agreed to her terms.

"_Thank you,"_ she said as she gave him a hug.

Angel was glad that she didn't press him any further. He didn't say that Giles, Xander, and Oz weren't going to go looking for him. Just that he wasn't going to go looking for him. He also didn't promise not to torture and kill him after the others found him.

~#*~!#*

A few minutes later, Joyce came into the living room and said, "Dinner's ready. I fixed enough for everyone."

Everyone moved into the dinning room and ate the supper that Joyce cooked. Buffy just picked at her food, not saying anything to anybody and not really eating. After a little while, she told Angel, _"I'm tired. I'm going to go lay down. Please let everyone know how grateful I am for them coming over. They helped me a lot just by being here." _Then she got up and left the room.

"She's going to go lay down. She said that you all helped her out just by being here for her. She's glad that you came over," Angel said as he watched her walk out of the room. When he was sure that she couldn't hear him he added, "I'm worried about her not talking."

"Well, she's talking to you, right?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes she is, but only through our bond. She's not using her voice at all. Well except for when she has a nightmare."

"Give her some time," Giles said.

"Angel? Why did you promise Buffy that you wouldn't do anything?" Willow asked.

"I didn't promise her that. I promised her that _I_ wouldn't go _looking_ for him. I didn't say a word about what I would or would not do if say…one of you found him and brought him to me," he smirked that could have been pure Angelus.

Giles broke out into an evil smile as did the rest of them.

"She said that she couldn't be a part of it and asked me to promise her not to go looking for him. I'm not asking you all to do anything. But if he somehow finds his way here, or if one of you finds him and brings him to me, then I didn't go looking for him and I haven't asked you guys to go looking for him either."

The others nodded their heads in agreement.

~#*~!#*

The next day, the Scoobies were trying to figure out a way to get Tom Adams to the mansion they had scratched the "Haunted Mansion Dare" idea. He was new in town and all they knew about him was that he had raped Buffy. There was no guarantee that he would buy the "Haunted Mansion" line.

When Tom walked into the library, Giles got an idea and without discussing it with the others first, he just went with it, hoping that the others would go along, "Now, I don't want you kids to go back to that old mansion anymore."

"Why?" Xander asked confused.

_Good one of them took the bait. _"Because, _son,_ that place is falling apart and it's deserted. What if the roof caved in? There would be no one around to hear your cries for help. Now, I won't tell your mother this time, but if you go back there, I will be forced to."

"But…" Xander said still confused as to what Giles was talking about.

"Don't 'But' me. I may not be able to force the others to stay way from there, Xander. But as your step-father it is my duty to make sure you are safe and I advise your friends to stay way from there as well."

Cordelia was the first one to catch on to what Giles was doing and said, "But, Giles, you have to let him go! That's where the party is!"

_Ok that's not where I was going but it might work,_ Giles thought.

"Yeah! There will be other people there. Lots of people there. Well for tonight anyways," Willow added.

"Hey, Man. We spent all afternoon decorating yesterday," Oz chimed in.

"We even skipped school yesterday for it."

"WILLOW!" Xander yelled.

"What? Oh gosh. Giles, you didn't hear that part."

"I most certainly did and Xander and I will talk about this later."

"Fine. Talk to him tomorrow about it. He has to be at this party tonight. You punish him tonight and you punish me cause then I won't have a date," Cordy said.

"I'll be your date. It looks like your date will be grounded." Tom said.

_Hook, line and sinker, _Cordelia thought. She raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

"Sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Tom Adams. I'm new."

"And why would I want you to be my date?"

"Because my father doesn't ground me and I probably have more money than he does," Tom said as he pointed to Xander.

Cordelia thought a moment then said, "Well you do dress better than he does. The party is at the mansion on Crawford Street. You can't miss it. Just meet us there. The party starts around sunset. I have to be there a little early to help set up. Just knock on the front door and one of us will let you in."

Tom smiled and then turned to Giles and said, "I need to check out a book on Renaissance England."

"The reference section is up the stairs second row to the right," Giles informed him coldly.

"Thanks," Tom said as he went to get his book.

"The rest of you get to your classes before I tell your parents that you skipped school yesterday," Giles said.

Tom checked out his book and then went to class.

~#*~!#*

After class, the Scooby gang went back to the library. "Hey, Giles, that was a brilliant plan!" Willow exclaimed.

"Hey, you all came up with the party."

"Yeah, but you started it with the whole 'forbidden fruit' thing."

"I was hoping that by saying that the mansion was deserted he would take his next intended victim there. But you all are getting him there tonight. I called Angel and told him what was going on. He's expecting Tom there tonight and he wants all of us there after school."

"How's Buffy doing?" Xander asked.

"He said that she had nightmares all last night, but that right now she was resting peacefully," Giles said somberly.

~#*~!#*

Buffy had taken a painkiller at three-thirty that afternoon, so she was asleep when her friends and mentor arrived at her home at four p.m. Angel answered the door and ushered them inside. He told them that Buffy was asleep so they had to get ready quietly. He led them down to the basement where he had some chains and a table full of different sized scalpels. "I need to attach these chains to the wall, but if I do it with a hammer and nail, then it would wake Buffy up and she can't know about this."

Giles thought a minute, "What about attaching them majickally?"

"That would work. Can you conjure up a Judas Chair to put under the chains?"

"Sure," Giles said.

Angel then he heard Buffy's voice inside his head yelling, _"NO! STOP! HELP!"_

Angel said as he started to run, "I gotta go; she's waking up." He ran up the basement stairs, across the living room, to the stairs that led to the second floor and into the master bedroom and to Buffy's side. "I'm right here, Muirnín. You're safe." He said as he embraced her.

"_Angel, when will the nightmares go away?"_

"Give it time, Muirnín. It's only been a day," Angel sighed.

"_Thank you for being here for me and holding me. Making me feel safe."_

Angel smiled, "I love you. I will always be here for you."

"_How can you still love me? I'm just glad that you don't hate me."_

"Muirnín, I could never hate you for something that was done to you. This was not your fault. I will always love you and I could never hate you." Angel leaned in and started kissing his wife gently, caringly, lovingly, but leaving out the passion so he didn't scare her. She would have to initiate the passion – for now he would leave it out as best he could. _He will definitely pay for what he has done to my wife,_ Angel thought as he sat there holding his wounded mate. He planned what he was going to do to the bastard that hurt her. If he could, he would take the nightmares, pain, and fear from her. But the only way he could take away the fear was to make sure that Tom would never be able to hurt another human being again. There was no way that he knew of to take the pain and nightmares away.

After an hour, Buffy was resting again and Angel went down to the basement to see how things were coming along. Willow and Giles had managed to majickally attach the chains to the wall. Angel tested them by pulling on them with all of his vampiric strength and the chains stayed glued to the wall. "Thanks, guys. You can leave now if you want. If you want to stay and watch you can."

"Why can't we help?" Xander asked. Angel looked at him shocked. "I mean she's like a sister to me. She's one of my best friends. I want to dish out some pain on him, too."

"Xander, what I'm going to do, you won't have the stomach for. I haven't tortured anyone in over a hundred years, but I'm not going to let him get away with this. She is being tortured by the memories. He will suffer. I had torturing down to an art form before I got my soul back and I'm going to use every bit of that knowledge to merit out punishment before killing him."

"I can handle it and I want to help," Xander insisted.

"So can I," Oz said.

"I can help with majickal torture," Willow said.

"I'm helping," Giles said.

"I'm staying. As long as I don't get blood on my clothes," Cordelia said. "Besides, he thinks he's my date to the party. I have to be here to answer the door."

"Fine, you can stay. Cordelia, you most likely will get blood on your clothes. Just lead him down here when he gets here. Xander, see if you can find a chainsaw. They didn't have chainsaws the last time I got to torture someone."

Xander left for the hardware store while the others went upstairs to watch TV and wait for Tom. Giles and Angel went to check on Buffy who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

~#*~!#*

When Tom arrived at the mansion, Giles and Willow were in the mansion library, looking for spells to use on Tom. Xander and Oz were in the basement and Angel was upstairs with Buffy. Cordelia was watching TV. Tom knocked on the front door just like Cordelia told him to. He remembered Giles description of a house ready to fall down. _This place looks pretty safe from the outside, _he thought.

Cordelia answered the door and Angel walked out of the bedroom. "Oh! Hi, Tom!" she said loudly. Angel got his first glimpse at Tom. Cordelia said, "Come on in, the party's in the basement."

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend, Cordy?" Angel asked from the second floor landing.

"This is Tom. Tom, this is Angel. He owns this place."

"Wow, this is nice. The school librarian said that this place was falling down."

Angel smiled, "Yes, well Ripper can be a little melodramatic. But he's right, this place isn't safe for you."

"Matter of fact, Giles called Angel about our party so that's why he's here," Cordy said hurriedly. "Let's go on down to the basement."

"Alright." Then he added, "It was nice to meet you, Angel."

"Nice meeting you too," Angel said darkly. Then he poked his head into the bedroom and said, "Buffy, I'm going out to patrol now. I'll send Cordy up to keep you company."

Buffy gave a slight nod of her head to acknowledge that she had heard him and Angel came into the room and gave her a hug. "I love you."

"_I love you, too."_

With the promises of love, Angel walked toward the basement. He was directly behind Cordelia and Tom as they descended the stairs. Tom never knew that Angel had followed. Behind Angel were Giles and Willow. When Tom saw Xander in the basement, he said, "Hey I see your boyfriend made it."

"Funny thing. Giles isn't my step-father and my parents don't care if I come here or not," Xander said.

Tom looked around the room which looked like a medieval torture chamber. "What kind of party is this?"

"It's one where I get revenge," Angel growled still looking human.

Tom turned around quickly and was startled at how close the slightly older man could get without him knowing. "Revenge? On who and for what?"

"On you, for raping my wife," Tom tried to run, but Angel caught him and wouldn't let go. Then he said, "Cordelia, go keep Buffy company for a while. You might get blood on your clothes if you stay."

"Ok," Cordelia said and went upstairs to the master bedroom.

~#*~!#*

As Cordelia ascended the basement stairs, Angel chained the boy up. "You can't hold me here!" Tom smiled and pulled on the chains. They wouldn't budge. "What's wrong with these chains? I can always break out of these things."

Angel ignored Tom and turned to Giles. "I told Buffy that I was going to go Patrol, so I'm going to do a quick patrol. I'll be back in little while. No one start without me."

"Hey, man, her eyes are black!" Tom yelled when he caught sight of Willow.

Angel turned to look at Willow and sure enough, her eyes were black. "Willow, have you been playing with my dark majick books?" Angel pretended to chide her.

Willow shrugged, "They were in your library. I just read them."

Tom screamed, "Wait, what's going on here? Why is this happening to me?"

~#*~!#*

Angel left the mansion and did a quick patrol around the mansion grounds and the nearest graveyard then went back home and into the basement. "Oh good, you're back. Can we start now?" Willow asked.

"Patience, Willow, patience. I get to go first," Angel said as he studied his scalpels. "Now then which one should I start with? Ah yes, I'll start with this one." He said as he picked up one from the middle.

"Just let us know what we can do to help," Ripper offered.

Angel then said, "This is going to take a while, Willow you may now begin."

Tom was confused at how these people were getting away with this torture. "Hey, what's happening? You can't do this to me! You're not supposed to be able to do this to me!" Tom screamed.

"Scream all you want, we majickally sound proofed the room earlier," Ripper said.

"Scream loud," Angel grinned. "It makes it that much better for me."

"What did you mean that we aren't supposed to be able to do this to you?" Oz questioned Tom.

"None of your business, asswipe!" Tom spat out.

Before anyone could stop him, Xander punched Tom. "Don't mess with my friends."

"Just wait until I'm finished with this. It's going to be good. I used to love to do this." Then Angel said to Tom, "Tom, tell me what you meant by we aren't supposed to be able to do this."

"Go to Hell!"

"Now that's not nice. Tell me, Tom."

Tom screamed out in pain.

"Someone do a Truth Spell! I need some answers here!"

Both Ripper and Willow said a spell in unison. When they finished, Angel asked again, "Why aren't we supposed be able to do this to you?"

Due to the Truth Spell, Tom had no choice but to tell the truth, "Because I'm protected by majick. Nothing bad is supposed to happen to me! Why isn't my protection spell working?"

Angel asked Tom, "Why did you rape my wife?"

"Because I wanted to."

Angel kicked him, "And you tried to blame it on her choice of clothes?"

When Ripper heard that, he punched the boy.

"How is it that you came by a protection spell?" Angel asked.

"Because Wolfram and Heart's Senior Partners promised my dad I would never be harmed by anything majickal or otherwise."

"Wolfram and Heart, huh? How is it that they think they can promise something like that?" Ripper asked.

"They have powerful connections in the demon world. They represent demons of all kinds. When a demon gets into trouble with the police, Wolfram and Heart represents them. They have rarely lost a case."

"Well, maybe our majick is more powerful than theirs." Angel said. "Tell me something else Tom. If we let you go, are you going to rape anyone else?"

Tom couldn't keep himself from telling the truth, "Yes."

Angel said, "There is nothing worse than pissing off a Wiccan and a father who has dabbled in the dark arts." Angel wiped his hands off on a towel. Then he let his vampiric features show and continued, "Or a vampire. You violated my mate and you will pay for that!"

"Willow, Ripper, call upon some Pookas to come torment him. I'm going to go get cleaned up and check on my wife," Angel said as he started to leave the basement.

"Are we going to finish him off?" Willow asked.

"Not right now. I'm going to try to convince Buffy to do it. I think it would help her out if she were to do it when she gets her slayer strength back."

"Hopefully, that will be in a day or two," Oz said.

"Clean him up. Stop the bleeding. Can't have him bleeding to death before Buffy gets her turn."

"Ok," Oz shrugged and started the first aid. Oz took care of the smaller cuts while Giles took care of the more serious ones. Willow had to do a healing spell to stop the most serious bleeding and to stop Tom from going into shock.

Angel cleaned up in the first floor bathroom and then changed into the clothes that he had put in there that afternoon. He then went upstairs to the bedroom he shared with is soul mate.

Cordelia and Buffy were sitting on the bed with Cordelia painting Buffy's nails. "See I told you that Passion Red would look good on you," Cordelia was saying.

"Hey," Angel said as he entered the bedroom.

Buffy looked up and smiled and waved. Cordelia turned around and saw Angel and said, "Well, I'd better get going. I'll come by tomorrow after school."

"Ok. Thanks for keeping her company," Angel said.

"No problem," Cordelia replied as she left the room.

As Angel hugged his wife, she said, _"How did it go?"_

"Well I found out something interesting."

"_What?"_

"Well I met Tom and Willow and Giles did a Truth Spell on him and we found out that Wolfram and Heart had put a protection spell on him to keep any thing bad from happening to him – majickally or otherwise. Apparently Willow's and Giles' majick was more powerful than Wolfram and Heart's majick. When we asked him if he was going to rape again, he said that he would. Buffy, he has to be stopped. Wolfram and Heart pay off the police and the D.A. and I wouldn't be one bit surprised if they were using majick to get the police and the D.A. to take the bribes every time. He can't be put in jail. We _have_ to stop him."

Buffy looked down at her newly painted passion red finger nails, and didn't say a word. There really was nothing to say. Tom had to be stopped. But was it her job to do so? She was conflicted. She didn't know what was wishful thinking and what wasn't. She didn't know what was right in this case. It was her job to protect humanity, but this was a human that preyed upon weaker humans and she had to protect the majority right? So should she trust her feelings? Should she give into her feelings and beg Angel to torture him and then turn him so that she could kill him and leave no body behind? Finally telepathically she said, "_Angel, I don't know what to do. I don't want him hurting anyone else. But I don't think I could kill another human being."_

Angel nodded. In a way, he was glad that his wife was having trouble with this. And finally he said, "I'll keep a close eye on him."

~#*~!#*

After Willow and Giles had majickally stopped the bleeding and kept him from going into shock by majick, Tom's body began to majickally heal. Because of the Wolfram and Hart protection spell, he had healed enough by midnight that he was able to escape the mansion. How he escaped he didn't know. Maybe his protection spell was working again. As he crawled out of the mansion, he saw a man watching the house. Yep, definitely, his luck had changed and his protection spell was working again. He tried to stand up to run to the man, and he tripped so he was half crawling, half running as he shouted, "Help! Help me!" Not really thinking about what this man might think of him if he implied that he believed in vampires, he said, "There is this crazy vampire after me! You have to help me!"

The man looked at the boy and immediately recognized the carvings. The boy was nude, missing some body parts, and the man with bleach blond hair saw the words "I'm a rapist" burned into his chest. He also recognized the Celtic carvings as Angelus' trademark torture technique. "Well it looks like someone had a little fun with you," Spike smiled. Then he also recognized a scent. The scent he picked up came from the boy, but it was also The Slayer's scent. Then Spike realized why the words were carved into his chest. Spike never knew what came over him in that instant. He was there to kill The Slayer; to show Dru that he hadn't gone soft. But what he did in the next second, proved Dru to be right. He had gone soft. Spike bent down to the boy's eye level and asked, "You want my help?"

The boy nodded.

"Alright then," Spike said and vamped out and then drained the boy, but before the boy died, he offered his own blood to the boy and Tom accepted. Spike then took the boy to the factory where Devlin had tried to open Acathla, and waited.

~#*~!#*

The next night, Tom arose and Spike was there to greet him—with a stake. Spike dusted Tom before Tom knew what was going on. Then Spike left and walked toward the mansion. As he walked, he tried to figure out why he had the sudden urge to protect The Slayer. Then he remembered the Bonding Ceremony that he and Dru watched from the shadows. He blamed his sudden urge to protect her on that. His damn Sire had to choose The Slayer for a Mate. That's what was wrong. He hadn't gone soft. It was his sense of family that prevented him from killing The Slayer. He would just have to find another way of getting Dru back.

Spike watched Angel and Joyce talking outside the mansion from afar. He could hear every word.

"I don't understand why her father isn't here. I called and left a message for him to call, that it's urgent. Rupert's called him also. I just don't understand why he hasn't called," Joyce said.

"I saw him in L.A., when he cancelled out Buffy's birthday date. He wasn't working like he said on the birthday card he sent. He was out on a date. And with someone who didn't know he even had a daughter. I was so mad when I confronted him, I could barely control myself. He might think that's why you are calling. I don't want Buffy to know that her father cancelled on her so he could spend time with a woman who doesn't even know that she exists. The last time she found out about Hank seeing someone who he didn't tell about her, she was really hurt. I don't want that to happen again."

"I understand, Angel. I really do. It's like he's trying to keep her out of his life. I just don't understand why."

"Neither do I, Joyce, neither do I. And although I really hate him at this moment, I think it would help her out if her father was here."

"I agree. Whether or not he wants her to be in his life isn't the question right now. Right now, she wants him to be in her life," Joyce said as she got in her SUV and drove off.

~#*~!#*

When Angel left the property that the mansion was sitting on, Spike walked up to the door and left an envelope taped to the door and then left. He had to find a way to get Dru back. But the answer was not here in Sunnydale as he thought. He walked to where he had hidden his car and then drove out of Sunnydale.

~#*~!#*

When Angel returned from Patrol, he found an envelope with his name taped to the door. He took it inside and opened it up and saw the ashes and a note that was inside. The note simply said, "It is finished." And to make it more confusing, it was in Spike's handwriting and considering that he had gone downstairs to check on the rapist and had noticed that he had somehow escaped, Angel knew who's ashes he was staring at, the confusing part was why Spike had done it. He would have had to turn him and then stake him. But why? Why would Spike do that for Buffy? As Angel sat on the couch in front of the coffee table, he came to the conclusion that Spike had not done it for Buffy, but for him, the Sire of Spike's Sire. He had done it for family. But what was Spike doing back in Sunnydale? He had thought he had sensed family near by when he left, but had just shrugged it off. He had also kept an eye out for the bastard that had hurt his Mate. And he had found neither family nor the asshole. Well this was why, apparently, Spike had been in town and had some fun with the asshole as well. But why was Spike there in the first place? And where was he now? What would he tell Buffy? Would he tell Buffy anything? She needed to know that her attacker would not ever hurt anyone again, but how would he let her know that when he didn't have all the answers himself?

Angel put the envelope in the fire place as he lit the fire and watched the envelope that had the ashes and note in it burn. And then went up to his bedroom.

~#*~!#*

"Buffy, how are doing, Mo Grá?" Buffy looked up at the love of her life and sadly shrugged her shoulders. Angel walked over to the bed and took her hands into his, "I wanted you to know that I found evidence tonight that Tom is dead."

"_Angel, you promised…."_

"Buffy, I didn't break my promise. I didn't go looking for him and I can honestly say that I didn't kill him."

"_Who did?"_

"Another vampire."

Buffy's eyes got wide, _"Is he going to turn?"_

"We don't have to worry about him anymore. He can't hurt anyone. He's dust."

"_Are you sure?"_

"Yes, Muirnín, I'm sure."

"_And the vampire who turned him?"_

"I don't know where the vampire who turned him is."

"_Do you know who?"_

"I didn't see it happen," was all Angel could tell her without her worrying about Spike. He would take that worry upon himself. Besides, Spike did him a favor. If he came across Spike he would try to convince him to take Dru and leave town. Spike wasn't even supposed to be back in town to begin with. But since Spike had killed, turned and dusted the asshole that hurt Buffy, then he would repay Spike by not immediately staking him and giving him a chance to get out of town.

Angel's answer seemed to satisfy Buffy and she nodded her head and laid down on the bed. Angel laid down with her and just held her in his arms.

~#*~!#*

The next day, Hank showed up on the mansion doorstep. Angel was the one who answered the door. Hank looked into the angry Vampire's eyes and timidity said, "You sent for me?"

"No, I didn't. But Joyce and Rupert have been trying to get a hold of you. Hank, after the stunt you pulled, I don't really want you here." Angel sighed and then said, "But Buffy needs all of her family right now." He placed a hand on Hank's chest and then said, "Before you come in, let's get something straight, Buffy is your top priority, not work, not any flimsy bimbo, who only wants to date men without kids. Buffy. She is hurting right now and if you hurt her any more than she already is, then only God will be able to help you, cause I _will_ kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

Hank shamefully dropped his head and looked at the floor. He knew that he hadn't been treating his daughter with the respect that she deserved. And now he was being put in his place by her husband. He finally whispered, "Yes." Angel stepped aside and let Hank in.

"Did you talk to Joyce or Rupert?"

"No. Just your friend that you sent to LA."

"My friend…" Angel trailed off. He hadn't sent anyone to LA. "What did this person look like?"

"About your height, a little leaner, platinum blonde."

"Spike." _First the ashes and now this? What is the hell is going on?_ "What did he say?"

"He just said that I better drop everything and get here. Buffy needed me."

_What is Spike up to? How did he even know where her father was?_ Angel nodded. Angel was fairly certain that while it was common knowledge that The Slayer lived in Sunnydale, it was not common knowledge that her father lived in L.A. This seemed to be totally out of character for Spike. But then again, Spike always did have a soft heart. Ok so he talked tough, and had killed two Slayers. But he also didn't go after them when they were defenseless. And Spike had been loyal to the family. Family. That was it. That had to be it. He was doing this because Buffy was family to him now. That didn't mean that he wouldn't try to kill her later on, when she got through this. But for Spike, family took care of family. "Hank, don't say anything about the person who came to get you. That stays just between us. And don't you dare even think of letting her know that you were not working on her birthday. She doesn't need to deal with that right now."

"What's going on, Angel?"

Just at moment, Buffy screamed out in the throes of a nightmare. Angel knew that she was reliving it again. It happened every time she fell asleep. He could feel her terror and pain every time just as sharply as he could when it had happened. He rushed to her side. Hank had never seen anyone move so fast. By the time, Hank got to the Master Bedroom and peeked in the open door, Angel had Buffy in his arms talking softly and reassuring to her. He felt like he was intruding. He went back downstairs and sat on the couch.

~#*~!#*

Hank was sure that Angel had forgotten about him, because he waited for a couple hours before Buffy's friends came by to see how she was doing. It was Giles who had informed him that his daughter had been raped. Hank was stunned. Buffy was stronger than a normal human, how could this happen? Giles then told him the whole story. Hank was disappointed that he didn't get the chance to torture the boy with the others, but then it was his own fault. If he had called Giles or Joyce back when they first called him, then he would have been here to help out with that.

~#*~!#*

Buffy and Angel came out of the bedroom, after Giles had finished telling the story. Hank saw the bruises on Buffy's face and arms, and his heart broke. He should have been here to stop it somehow. He hugged his daughter and whispered something in her ear and she nodded her head in the affirmative. Then she and Angel took their place on the couch, Willow started to show Buffy the class work that she had missed that day.

Buffy still didn't have her Slayer strength or healing and Giles and Angel thought it might be because of the muscle relaxers and pain killers that the hospital prescribed were slowing down the Council drugs from getting out of her system. What worried them the most was that she still wasn't talking to any one except Angel—and that was just through their telepathic bond.

~#*~!#*

A week later, Joyce was checking on her daughter in the Master Bedroom while Angel was making Buffy some lunch. She noticed that her daughter had fallen asleep writing something in her diary. She picked up the diary, not intending to read it, but something caught her eye, so she read what her daughter had written.

_Dear Diary, _

_Well the unthinkable has happened. Because the Council drugged me to take my Slayer Strength away for that stupid test that nearly got my mom killed, I was raped. Now I'm pretty sure that wasn't part of the test, but it's happened. And now Angel doesn't want me anymore. My own husband doesn't want to touch me. He must see me as I feel. Dirty, ugly, repulsive, disgusting, revolting, nauseating, unworthy of his love. I am unworthy. I basically cheated on him. How can he love me? He says it wasn't my fault, he says that this doesn't change his love for me, but I can tell it has. It's like the fire isn't there when he kisses me anymore. He only touches me to hug me, or hold me after a nightmare._

_Oh! The nightmares. When will they stop? As soon as they stop and I don't need him to comfort me at night anymore, I will leave. I want him to be happy. He can't be happy with me anymore. I'm too hideous, vile, and gross now. He needs someone else, someone who can be faithful to him. Oh! I love him so much, I don't know how I will live without him, but I can't stand staying here and loving him as I do and he not love me the same way anymore. So I will slip out in the night and no one will know where I'm going. I'm going somewhere where no one knows me._

"Oh Dear," Joyce said. Joyce went downstairs to the library and called a friend of hers that worked with rape survivors. "Kathleen, it's me Joyce." She said when her friend answered the phone.

"Joyce, how are doing?"

"I'm doing alright. I need some advice."

"Sure. What can I help you with?"

"Well, remember I told you a few days ago, that Buffy may be coming to see you because she was raped."

"Yes, is she ready to talk about it? I could set up an appointment for her here at the office or as a favor to you I could drop by her house and talk with her there."

"Well, right now she's not talking to anybody."

"Joyce, it's alright. I wouldn't push her to talk just yet. When she's ready to talk, she will."

"Kathleen, that's not the problem. I'm over here at her house. I was checking up on her to see how she was doing. She fell asleep writing in her diary. Kathleen, what she wrote…I need some advice on how to help her."

"What did she write, Joyce?"

Leaving out the sentences that mentioned slaying, Joyce read the diary entry to her friend.

Kathleen was silent while Joyce read to her what Buffy had written. "Joyce, most rape survivors feel as Buffy does. And the ones that are married, well their husbands don't know how to handle it. They both need counseling on how to deal with this. First, you need to find out if her husband's feelings have changed."

"They haven't. That much I can tell you."

"Ok then, without talking to him, I can only go by past clients. I've had husbands tell me that they are afraid of scaring or hurting their wives afterwards so they back off and withdraw. He may be waiting for her to make the first move. Most of the husbands I've talked to think this is the best way to go. And for some women it is and for some women it isn't. Just tell Buffy that you think that is why he isn't making any advances toward her. Joyce, you will have to find a way to convince her of this.

"Next, the nightmares. For some women, making love to their husband is what helps the nightmares to go away. You can tell Buffy to make that first move if she feels ready to and see if that helps with her nightmares."

"OK thanks, Kathleen."

"Sure thing. And call me and let me know how things are progressing."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Joyce walked out of the library only to see Angel rushing up the stairs. _Buffy must be having a nightmare,_ she thought to herself as she followed her son-in-law.

~#*~!#*

Sure enough, Buffy was in the throes of a nightmare. By the time Joyce got back into the room, Angel was holding a crying Buffy and whispering what he thought were comforting words in her ear. Joyce slipped the diary onto Buffy's nightstand. She hoped that she was not noticed. When Buffy had calmed down, Joyce asked, "Angel, can I talk to Buffy alone please?"

Angel looked at his wife and Buffy nodded her head and said telepathically, "_I'm alright now."_

Angel kissed her forehead and left the room. While it would have been very easy for him to eavesdrop, he didn't. He went to the library and grabbed a book and sat down on the couch and started to read.

~#*~!#*

Meanwhile, in the Master bedroom, Joyce was talking to Buffy. She didn't expect for Buffy to talk back, but she hoped at least her daughter was listing to her.

Not meeting her daughter's eyes she started, "Buffy, um.., I came up here a few minutes ago to see how you were and you were asleep. I noticed that you had fallen asleep while writing something and I hadn't intended on reading it, but something caught my eye. I swear to you I only read the one page, but it was enough. We need to talk. Well… I need to talk and you need to listen." Joyce took a chance and looked into Buffy's expressive eyes. She saw that Buffy felt betrayed and was hurt that she would read her diary. "You have every right to feel what you are feeling, but I promise you, you have Angel's feelings all wrong. That man hasn't ever loved you more than he loves you right now! Everyone can see how hard it is for him to hold back around you, except for you. He is doing a pretty good job of hiding from you how much he desires you. But everyone else can see it. Buffy, he's just afraid of scaring you. He doesn't want to remind you of what happened. He doesn't want to push you to do something that he wants but that is too soon for you. Buffy, he's waiting on you to make the first move, so that he knows that you are ready. And I talked with a friend of mine, who counsels rape survivors and she said that sometimes, making love to your husband will help with the nightmares. Now you can be mad at me all you want for reading that one page, but if I can help you out, then I'd say that it was worth it. Just please, Buffy, please, give what I said some thought, before you do something that will make you, Angel, and everyone else that loves you miserable."

~#*~!#*

Later that night after Buffy woke up from another nightmare, she turned to Angel and through their bond said, _"Angel, make me forget his touch, please, make me forget, make the nightmares go away. Please, Angel, make love to me."_

Angel didn't know what to do. It had only been a few days was she really ready? Hell, would she even ask if she wasn't. Angel decided that she would not ask if she wasn't ready to make love. But his hesitation hurt Buffy.

Buffy looked down, _"It's ok. I understand that you don't want me anymore…."_

"Buffy, is that what you think?" Buffy wouldn't meet his eyes. Angel gently lifted her head so that her eyes would meet his, "Buffy, I do want you. I love you and I want you so bad it hurts. I just don't want you to push yourself too fast, Muirnín. I don't want you to do this for me. I want you to do this because you feel that you are ready."

Buffy couldn't hold back her tears any longer and just hugged her husband tightly and cried into his shoulder, _"I do want this, Angel. I'm so sick of not being able to sleep without having to relive it. I need you to make me forget. Or at least try to anyway."_

"Buffy, if at anytime you feel uncomfortable, tell me to stop and I will."

Buffy nodded her head in agreement. Angel then let go of his passion as he kissed his wife.

~#*~!#*

While Buffy did not have any nightmares that night, it wasn't until a few days later that Buffy was off of the medication that the hospital gave her. Once off the medications, her body healed rapidly. By the time Faith returned home, there was no physical evidence of Buffy being raped. However, Angel and Giles told Faith everything that had happened, from the Council's test to Buffy's rape due to the loss of her strength.

After hearing everything, Faith said, "Man. I thought the Council was on our side."

"They generally are, Faith. No slayer has ever been attacked like this while still recovering from the effects of the trail," Giles explained. "No one even thought to consider it could happen. And Buffy doesn't want to let the Council know what happened to her."

"So, that's it? We don't tell the Council what their little 'test' caused?" When the only answer she got was a nod of the head in the affirmative from both Angel and Giles she continued, "So when then the new watcher comes, we just don't say anything?"

"We don't say anything. If the new watcher finds out, Buffy will be the one to tell him or her," Angel confirmed.

"Also, we will try to keep Angel and Buffy's marriage a secret from the new watcher. I never wrote anything about their romantic relationship, just that Angel was helping out and that they were working together. I'm not sure what the Council would do if they knew that Angel and Buffy were married."

"Got it," Faith agreed. "Oh, I bet that they sent me out of town just so that they could do their little so called 'test'. There were no demons trying to open the Cleveland Hellmouth. I stayed there for two weeks and nothing but the normal vampires."

"I suspect you are correct, Faith," Giles said. "In any case, when you turn eighteen, you can't be given the test since you now know about it." Giles grinned warmly at Faith.

Faith looked back at the former watcher thankful that he told her about it. Her birthday was coming up this summer. She then looked at Angel and changed the subject, "You know, if you need to take care of B, I understand. We can put off the schoolin' until she's all better."

Angel grinned, "Nice try, Faith. But, I can still get you caught up while she's sleeping. Matter of fact, here's the past two weeks lessons." He watched as her face fell into a frown and she took the paper with the instructions for the past two weeks lessons. He let her get half way up the stairs before saying, "You can wait until tomorrow to start on it. Rest up from your trip."

"Thanks, bro," Faith said as she threw him a grin over her shoulder.

~#*~!#*

**A/N #2: **I really tried to take out the graphic tourture for you. If I left some in, please accept my apology and let me know what I need to take out. **I **_**personally**_** do not advocate this or any torture for any reason. Please understand that this is fan**_**fiction**_** and not everything that I write I personally adhere to. **Since Angelus stayed silent, I couldn't write him in this chapter. I'm serious, Angelus usually is chattering away giving me his comments, but this chapter, all he said is "I want to use this certain torture device on him" and that's it. I think he's having issues with this happening to a member of the family when he raped and tortured nuns and others. He doesn't know how to react to this. Before you think me a sick and disgusting person for getting my kicks out of writing a chapter like this, I did not enjoy this chapter at all. It was very painful for me to write. I realize that I may get flamed for this chapter, but again, please keep in mind that this was the most painful chapter I have _**ever**_ written to date.


	8. Chapter 8 Earshot

_**Chapter 8: Earshot**_

_**A/N: I promised last chapter that I would catch everyone up who can't/doesn't like to read chapters about rape and/or torture. For some it can trigger a flashback. So in keeping that promise, this is what happened last chapter. Due to Buffy's weakened state (the drugs that the council gave her in Helpless) Buffy was raped by Tom Adams, who's father is the CEO of the new Sunnydale branch of Wolfram and Heart. After the police who arrested him are bought off, Tom goes free. Angel is contacted about this and behind Buffy's back, he and the Scoobies torture Tom and when he escaped Spike turned and dusted him. No body to find. I'm pretty sure that Tom's father has filed a missing person's report by this time since it's been a few weeks or so since last chapter ended. (However I don't ever say it in the story.) Also just some background, Mr. Adams is pretty sure that Angel has done something to Tom, but he has no proof. Mr. Adams is well aware of the fact that Angelus resides in Sunnydale (he was unaware that Angelus was married – until his son raped Angelus' wife). He was recruited for the Sunnydale branch to get Angelus as a client and to hopefully to help Wolfram and Heart's battle with good. This will come up later in Book 3 which covers both Seasons 4 and 5. However, now that his beloved son has gone missing, he hates Angelus. But first, we have to get Buffy and the gang to graduate high school. **_

_**Oh something else that is important for this chapter: Buffy was not using her voice to talk since she was raped. She does have nightmares where she does scream out, but that's it. She communicates to Angel through their bond only. Angel will tell the others if they need to know something. Recently, she has been talking to Giles aloud when no one else is around, or if Angel is the only other person around and a little bit to family and friends when they are all alone, but not when around a lot of people So, yes, Buffy is still healing emotionally from the rape. It is for this reason that I have pushed up Earshot in the timeline. The "aspect of the demon" helps her to start talking again. Also, I have deleted a lot from Earshot, because at this point they don't know about the Mayor wanting to ascend. They don't even know that the Mayor is evil. And Faith is still good. She hasn't killed anyone yet. **_

_**Thanks to my Beta team. Ok as usual folks, Buffy/Angel thoughts in italics surrounded by quotation marks means they are talking to each other using their bond. The parts of the chapter that are surrounded by asterisks are taken from the transcript **__***EarShot and Transcribed by: **__**hettinger **__**transcript provided by **__**TWIZ **__*** **__**I just want to make the distinction between what I have written and what came from the creators of our beloved TV show.**_

* * *

*Buffy ran onto a playground in the park as she was being chased by two flesh colored demons, nasty twisted face, and no mouths. She tripped on the edge of the swing set and fell to the ground. One of the creatures loomed over her. She snap kicked its leg knocking it into the pole of the swing set. She rolled to her feet. It turned to her. Roundhouse to the face and it dropped. She pulled out a knife. _You demons can't resist a run and stumble, can you?_*Buffy thought as *she threw the knife down at one of the creatures and it caught it. The other one grabbed her from behind. She twisted out and* hurled *it into the swing set pole. Both demons got up, one right in front of the other and faced off with her. The first ducked and the second threw her knife back at her. She caught it. The first demon rushed in to attack. Swift kick to the stomach and Buffy flipped *it over her shoulder onto a picnic table.* Then she stabbed it right in its heart with the knife. The second demon ran off as the first grumbled and died. Buffy yanked the knife back out and turned around. _One down, one... gone,_*she thought, wondering why and where the other one was running off to. She never noticed that some of the demon's blood had gotten onto her hand and her skin just absorbed it like a sponge absorbing water.

As Buffy, Angel, and Willow walked into the library, Willow commented, "I'm glad that you're back, Buffy. We really missed you in class."

"She's not going to class today, Willow. We're just here to talk to Giles. She wanted to see him in person instead of calling him on the phone."

"Why?"

Angel smiled and said, "She went on patrol last night. We got separated and she fought two demons on her own."

"They were scabby with no mouths," Angel told Willow what Buffy had said through their bond.

"Well, hey, you're getting back into a normal routine. That's good."

"Yeah. But one got away," Angel said. "That's why we're here. We want to find out what kind of demon it was. I couldn't find anything in any of the books at home."

*"So scabby demon got away?"*

"She says, '*Scabby demon number two got away. Scabby demon number one, big check in the slay column'," Angel smiled.

"I don't like this whole no mouth thing. It's disquieting," Willow stated.

"_Well, no mouth means no teeth. Unless they have them somewhere else…."_Buffy* shivered at the thought and Angel kept that comment between his wife and him.

Xander walked into the library with *Percy, and Hogan* behind him and saw *Willow and Buffy with* Angel. Xander* quickly *joined Buffy and Willow at a table and whispered, "Hogan Martin thinks he's sooooo hot. Like we should all be awed by him cuz he can put a ball in the net."

"Hey, Xander," Hogan greeted.

"He said my name! He knows my name!"

Percy walked up to the table that Willow, Xander, Buffy and Angel were sitting at and greeted, "Hey, Will."

"Hi."

"Um, look, I can't make the study session after school. Ummmm, can we do it fifth period?"

"Ok. Did you finish the reading?"

"Most of it."

Willow slipped into a school teacher, un-approving type voice, "Percy."

"I'll finish it at* recess."

*"That's my little trooper," Willow said approvingly.

"I don't know what you're doing to him. I actually heard him complete a sentence. It had a clause and everything," Hogan joked.

"You're watching the game, right?" Percy asked his tutor.

"Wouldn't miss it!" Willow answered.

"See ya, Hogan," Xander called out. The boys left. Buffy and Willow watched them all leave.

Buffy* looked up from her book, touched Angel's hand and he told Willow what she said, *"You're going to the game?* We *didn't know you liked basketball."

"I didn't either. But I really started getting into it. Especially now that* we've got a chance to be *in the championship. It's so exciting.* Too bad you're not feeling up to it, *we're all going. Oz, Xander, everybody," Willow* left the library *for class.

_"Great, everybody who isn't currently Buffy_*_gets to go to a game. I'm really tired of feeling like this. I want to feel normal. Well what's normal for me anyway,"_ *Buffy scratched her hand.*

"_Soon you will. Going on patrol last night and coming here were huge steps, Mo Grá,"_ Angel told her as he watched Willow and Xander go off to class.

*Giles came out of his office and asked, "You touched one of the demons?"

Buffy* had stopped researching and was examining her hand under a magnifying lamp. The itching was driving her up a wall and she couldn't concentrate. Buffy softly said, *"A good touch, not a bad touch. Anyway, it's been itching like crazy." She switched off the lamp and swung it aside, "No big, just another problem for the good people at Lubriderm, right?"

Giles finds a picture of the demon. He set the book down in front of Buffy, "That's the demon in question?"

*Buffy* nodded her head and thought, *_In the disgusting flesh._

"Hmm," he picked the book back up and stepped away from her, reading it.

Buffy* grabbed Angel's hand and Angel spoke for her, *"What?"

"It says they can infect the host."

"Infect? Infect?" Giles continured to read not paying any attention to Buffy* or Angel.

Angel yelled out, *"Giles! Infect?!"

"Oh um, infect the host with an aspect of the demon. That's all it says."

"_An aspect of the demon?" _Buffy grabbed the book from Giles and looked at it intently.

"It's rather terse isn't it?"

"You mean like a part of it?" Buffy almost whispered.

"There could be any number of explanations for your hand. A new fabric softener can cause irritation. In any case, I would advise not to attempt to track the one that got away. Let's minimize your exposure," Giles said.*

Angel could tell that Giles was trying to be calm in front of Buffy. Truth was, he was worried. They both were worried for the young lady that they both loved. Angel cleared his worry from his mind as he held his wife's hand.

Buffy thought, *_"Part of the demon? I hope it's not the outside part."_*

"Buffy, they're holding a pep-rally for the basketball team. Why don't you go? Get your mind off of this. It would do you good."

Buffy looked down and very softly, said, "I don't feel like going." "_I want to feel like going. But I'm just not ready to face everyone right now."_

Angel's dead heart broke when he heard his wife's thoughts. He wished he could do something to help his wife out, but he didn't know what to do.

Buffy went into Giles' office and took out her compact mirror, *_Still gotta mouth._ She turned and was startled by Angel standing right behind her.*

Angel took her hand and through the bond said, _*"Sorry.* __Didn't mean to startle you."_

*_"It's okay. I didn't see you so I should have known you were there."_

"_It doesn't mean anything. I mean, sometimes demons, they just exaggerate their power,"_*Angel tried to calm her fears as well as his own.

*_"Demon hype. Maybe not. I spend all my time in the dark anyway. It's not like I'd be at a game you know with my friends where someone could see me and my new monster part."_

Angel* pulled her into a hug, *_"Hey, I won't let anything happen to you if I can help it. No matter what, I'll always be with you. Hey, I'll love you even if you're covered with slime." _

"_I liked everything until that part."_*

* * *

Buffy walked down the school hallway, in her own world, trying to be calm. She bumped into a teacher.

"Ooo, whoa there. You watch where you're going now," Mr. Beech said.

Buffy meekly nodded. Then heard Mr. Beech's thoughts as he walked away, _Students. If we could just get rid of all the students._

Buffy continued down the hall as students' thoughts assailed her.

_When I'm a sophomore jillionaire and you're all flipping burgers. Who's the loser then..._.

_'Maybe I'll take french,' I said. How hard can it be, french babies learn it. IDIOT!_

_I swear, someday my pants are gonna fall right off._

_Buffy is so beautiful. _She stopped and gave a furtive glance at the guy. _I mean, look at that body._ She raised her arm to shield a blush. _God, I would love to shove her against that locker right now and just oooh._She mentally freaked and hurried past. She almost bumped into another guy who looked at her and ran* into the library.

*Buffy asked Giles, "Is this the thing? The aspect thing? Because I gotta say, if it is, it is way better than a tail. I mean, I have a hard enough time finding jeans that fit right…,"

* * *

"Buffy, slow down. I'm not even convinced that this is genuine mind reading. You're most likely projecting your…."

"When I walked in a few minutes ago, you thought _'Look at her shoes. If a fashion magazine told her to, she'd wear cats strapped to her feet.'_"

"I...um…." _The demons are telepathic. I should have known. That's why they didn't need mouths. _"Of course, demons are telepathic!"

"I know, you just told me. That's why they don't need mouths. And you should have known."

"This is astounding."

"It was happening out in the hallway. Principal Snyder has _Walk Like an Egyptian_stuck in his head. And the boys at this school are seriously disturbed. I might just see if Angel can homeschool me. It's weird, but Giles, think about it. Think about what I could do."

"It could be very useful. You could anticipate your opponent's every move. Turn his plans against him."

"Oh, way better than that."* Buffy looked at her husband.

*"You can't get into my mind," Angel said.

"How did you...why not?"

"It's like the mirror. The thoughts are there, but they create no reflection in you."*

"But when we touch…."

"That's different. It's part of the magical bond between us. It's something about the Bonding Ceremony and the exchange of blood during it that allows it, sorta like a spell I guess. This isn't caused by our sharing blood, so we still have to touch to hear each other's thoughts."

*"It's OK, a little headachy, but..."

"In two-hundred-forty-three years, I've loved exactly one person."* Angel explained, just guessing at what she was trying to find out.

*"Ohh...it is me right?"* Buffy interrupted.

"And the bond is proof that I will never stop loving you. If it were possible for me to stop loving you, we wouldn't be able to hear each other's thoughts when we touch," he continued to explain. *"Buffy, be careful with this gift. A lot of things that seem strong and good and powerful, they can be painful."

"Like say, immortality?"

"Exactly, I'm dying to get rid of that."

"Funny."

"I'm a funny guy."

* * *

In the library Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Buffy, Giles* and Angel *were gathered around the table.

Xander asked, "She can read our minds? Our every impulse and fantasy."

"Every one,"* Angel *answered.

_Oh…, _Xander thought.

_I don't see what this has to do with me._ Cordelia thought. "I don't see what this has to do with me."

"Well, I think it's great. Right? I mean, you enjoy your other slayer powers…." Willow trailed off. _She's hardly even human anymore. How can I be her friend now? She doesn't need me._

"No! I do need you," Buffy said aloud.* Angel just looked at his wife. He was glad that she was making progress by talking more, but he was worried about who thought that she didn't need them.

*Cordy said, "Ok, what are you talking about? Because you are soooo creepy right now."

"Um...I think there must be some precedence for occurrences such as this. Uh, I'll research it." Giles said trying to be calm.

Oz, the ever silent one, thought, _I am my thoughts. If they exist in her, Buffy contains everything that is me and she becomes me. I cease to exist._ "Hmm..."

Xander wondered, _What am I gonna do? I think about sex all the time! Sex! Help! Four times five is thirty. Five times six is thirty-two. Naked girls. Naked Women! Naked Buffy! Oh stop me!_

"Xander! Is that all you think about?" Buffy asked disgusted.

"Actually... bye," Xander ran from the library.*

Angel explained, *"Xander has just illustrated something. Chances are, you're all going to be thinking whatever you least want Buffy to hear. It's a question, of course, of mental discipline."* Angel had perfected at hiding his thoughts from Buffy when they touched. He had worked on it when he was trying to figure out what to get her for her birthday and then perfected it when he was planning Tom's torture.

*"He's right. There are..." Giles trailed off.

Willow was trying to be supportive and asked, "What's it like Buffy?"

"I don't know. It's a little weird. But, look, please, don't for a second think that I don't need you, because I do. I want to share this with you. It's like all these doors are opening to all these little worlds, and I can just walk right inside."

Oz thought, _No one else exists either. Buffy is all of us. We think. Therefore, she is._

Willow thought, _She knows so much. She knows what Oz is thinking. I never know that. Before long, she'll know him better than I do._

Buffy was getting frustrated, "No, don't think that."

"I can't help it Buffy. I'm sorry, I just can't." Willow got up and ran from the library.

"If you don't need me, I'm gonna follow the red-head." Oz followed his girlfriend out of the library.

"Guess I won't be writing that book, 'Gaining Friends through Telepathy.'"

_Whatever. I wonder when I can go._ Cordelia asked, "Whatever. Can I go?"

Buffy was irritated, "You know what? I'm getting a headache.* I'm going to go get something to eat." She wasn't thinking about the lunchroom being crowded. *She grabbed her stuff and left.*

"Was I the only one that noticed that Buffy was talking aloud and not using me to tell you what she wanted to say?"

"I was afraid to call attention to it, but I noticed it," Giles agreed with Angel. "I think the others were too absorbed in the implications that they didn't really notice."

"I'm afraid that you may be right. I just hope that she doesn't loose them as her friends. She really needs them right now."

Cordelia listened quietly to what they were saying and left without saying a word. She herself hadn't taken notice that Buffy had been doing her own talking. And she felt just a little bit guilty about that. But, if the others hadn't noticed, she wasn't going to say anything. Besides, this was a huge step in Buffy's recovery, she didn't want her to regress, and Giles thought that by saying something about it, she might clam up again and not talk at all anymore.

* * *

*Buffy walked down the crowded hallway and heard numerous thoughts all run together.

_She is so hot! _

_I hate my body. _

_No one is ever gonna love me. _

_What if I never get breasts? _

_I can't believe the test is today. _

_He has the cutest butt._

* * *

Giles and Angel were in Giles' office when Giles said, "Here. It's happened before. A man in Ecuador. Quite recently."

"Can we contact him?"

"I'd say not. He can't communicate with anyone."

"Dead?"

"No, he's in complete isolation. The power - he can't shut it off."

* * *

Buffy was in the serving line in the cafeteria. Jonathan was next to her in line as the cacophony of thoughts continued.

_It's gotta get better. Please tell me it gets better. I hate school._  
_Am I normal?_ Jonathan thought. Aloud he asked, "Are you through with the mashed potatoes?" Buffy looked at him. _She doesn't even know I'm here. Look at everybody, none of this matters._ Buffy stepped away from him to walk to a table.

_Come on! Come on! _

_She's a loser. _

_She has the sweetest face I've ever seen. _

_Oh my …, quiet down. _

_If I stand just in the right spot, I can probably see into the arm hole of her top. _

All the voices blended into incomprehensible din as Buffy walked through the center of the cafeteria with her tray. Suddenly, the voices all stop. Then her mind heard an evil voice think, _This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all! _

Buffy stood in the center of the cafeteria. Everything went silent. Her tray slipped from her hands, making a lot of noise as it and its contents hit the floor. Everyone clapped and laughed just as the thought voices came pouring back in. She ran over, grabbed a student, looked into his face, _She's gone nuts._

She turned and grabbed a girl walking by, _I hate being here._

She grabbed and looked at more people as the thoughts invaded her mind. She grabbed and looked at Jonathan, _She touched me._

She turned away from him and looked around at all the students. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts. She put her hands to her ears, trying to block them out. The room spun dizzily as Buffy let go of her ears and dropped to the floor unconscious.

* * *

Willow, Xander, Cordy, Giles, and Oz were looking down at her, trees in the background above them. Angel was watching from shadows of the awning over the sidewalk near the library outside door.

Willow's voice invaded her mind, _I think she's waking up now._

She picked out Oz's voice, _She's ok._

Giles's voice sounded relieved, _Oh thank …!_

Xander's voice told her, _Her eyes are opening._

Cordelia's voice was last, _I'm cold._

Giles asked, "You alright?"

"I told them not to move you. They probably severed your spinal cord," Cordy said.

"I'm ok," Buffy said as she sat up* and looked at Angel. He gave her a small smile that showed his own relief that his wife was going to be ok.

*"Buffy...," Giles held onto her so she wouldn't fall.

"No really. I'm OK. Listen, there's a killer in the cafeteria."

Xander decided to joke, "See, I've been saying for years that the lunch lady's gonna do us all in with that Mulligan Stew."

Cordelia hit him on the arm, "Xander." Even she knew this was no time for jokes.

Xander continued, "I mean, what the hell's a Mulligan?"

Buffy was insistent, "Someone was thinking about it. They thought 'This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all.' I have to find them."

Giles helped her to stand up, "Well, did you, uh, recognize a voice?"

"No."

Willow thankful to have something to do to help her friend asked, "Boy or girl?"

"I don't know. I mean, it was hardly human. It was full of so much anger and pain." She started to walk away from them. The cacophony of their thoughts intruded. It built and she stumbled back. Giles kept her from falling.* Angel looked on concerned; itching to get to his wife. However, the sun is shining directly on the spot where she was. He saw some dark clouds and wished that he could will the clouds to move in front of the sun so that he could get to her.

*Giles, trying to help, said, "Buffy, count."

"No, I have to find them," she insisted.

"Yeah, I mean, who hasn't just idly thought about taking out the whole place with a semi-automatic?" Everyone stared at Xander. "I said idly."

"I know the difference. He, she, whoever, they meant it. They're gonna do it."

_She looks so tired,_Giles thought

_How horrible,_Willow was horrified that a human would do something like that.

_I'm not getting any warmer,_Cordelia's mind just wasn't on what was going on.

_I bet it was Hogan, _Xander thought accusingly_._

_Who could it be?_ Oz wondered.

Buffy grabbed her head, "Shut up! Uh, I'm sorry. I, it's just, can you guys not think so loud? Or, so much."

"Buffy, you should go home.* Angel and *I will take you home," Giles said.* He wanted to stay with Buffy and he knew that Angel would want to as well.

*Buffy agreed, "Yeah, ok, wha-No! Look, I need you guys to go back to the cafeteria. Make a list of everyone who's there. We have to find the killer before lunch tomorrow."

Willow grateful for something to do said, "We'll do it, Buffy. A list of all the students."

"Yeah. Nancy was there. She's scary. And, uh, oh teachers too. Mr. Beech, he thought something about getting rid of all the students."

"Come on." Giles helped her* toward Angel *and the group walked the other way.

Buffy* went into Angel's waiting arms and said, *"I can't shut it out. It's like this invasion of my head. It's like there's these strangers walking around in there. It's just a- Look at this, I can't even be around people anymore. Not that they're really clambering to be near me anyway. Even you, Giles."

Giles was ashamed, "I'm sorry Buffy. It's hard for all of us.* Angel *and I are, are looking for a way to help."

"I'll be okay right? I mean, even if you can't get rid of it?" They reach the passenger side of Giles' car.

As Buffy got in, Giles tried to reassure her by telling her, "You'll be fine. I promise." However, as he stepped away from her, he thought, _If it doesn't go away she'll go insane_.

Buffy froze, shocked at Giles' thoughts.*

"Giles, take her to her mother's. I'm going to stay here and research," Angel wanted to be with her, but he also knew that he could help her more by finding a cure.

* * *

Buffy* was in her mother's *home* in her old *bed.

Joyce folded a blanket over her, "There, you look better already."

"Thanks, Mom."

Joyce started to go out into the hallway, "I'm uh, I'm just going to get you another pillow."

"I really don't need one."

Joyce appeared back in the room with a pillow, "But you need another blanket." She set the pillow on the bed and turned back to go get another blanket.

"Uh, Mom, I'm fine."

Joyce grabbed the blanket, and brought it back to Buffy "How about, some soup? Chicken and stars." She set the blanket on the bed.

"Mom, please, just come sit with me."

Joyce fidgeted and stepped back from the bed. "I've uh, I've got laundry."

"Why are you...?" she bolted up in bed, "You had sex with Giles?!"

Joyce gasped.

Buffy yelled, **"You had sex with Giles?!"**

Joyce turned to hurry out of the room, "It was the candy! We were teenagers!"

"On the hood of a police car?!"

Joyce stopped just outside the room looking back, "I'll be downstairs. You feel better." She hurried away.

Buffy called after her, **"Twice!"**

* * *

Buffy tossed and turned in the bed. Giles and Joyce stood in the doorway to the room.

"I can't stand this. I keep wondering if I'm hurting her with my thoughts," Joyce* told her lover.

*"You're not. Not anymore. She can't pick one thought out of the … out of the din." Giles said* and just pulled Joyce into his arms. Joyce laid her head on his chest.

* * *

A smoking figure covered in a blanket stepped inside. Angel pulled off the blanket and showed Giles a vial of glowing blue liquid. "I got it."

Angel set the potion on a burner beside the bed where Buffy was laying. He sat down on the bed and pulled Buffy up into his arms.

Buffy was dazed and confused, "Uh, no."

"I'm gonna help you,* Muirnín." *He grabbed the potion and fed it to her. She struggled but couldn't really resist. She gulped some of it down. He set the potion aside and laid her back on the pillow. She seemed better and he kissed her forehead. She started to freak, thrashing and kicking, not knowing what she was doing. "Giles!" Angel yelled as he tried to hold her still.* Finally, she went still and started sleeping peacefully. Angel knelt at her bedside, her hand clasped in his.

*Her eyes opened and she turned her head to look at him, "Angel."

Buffy's mother sat down on the bed and she saw Giles in the room just behind her. "Thank god! Are you all right? Do you hear thoughts?"

Buffy answered, "No. Did you find the killer?"

* * *

Cordelia said, "We have no shot. The killer could be anyone. We lose."

Buffy entered behind the gang, "We still have a few minutes."

"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed.

"You're okay. Can you hear thoughts?" Xander asked and Buffy shook her head no. "Just when I wasn't thinking about sex."

"Okay, here's the new plan. We're going to get Snyder to evacuate the school. I just hope the killer's not waiting outside."

Cordelia picked up a letter off of Freddy's desk and read it, "'By this time tomorrow, you'll all know what I've done. I'm sure you understand that I had to do it, and that although death is never easy, it's the only way.'" Cordy stopped for a beat and then continued, "Doesn't anyone write in to praise the Cheerleaders! We are so unsung."

Willow grabbed the letter, "Jonathan! Oh, I had him in my grasp. Slippery weasel."

Buffy took charge and commanded, "Split up. Find him."

* * *

Buffy ran into the Quad, looking at groups of students. She stopped in the middle. She saw Larry, looked around some more and saw Nancy. She turned and looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. She saw him in the clock-tower holding the rifle. Buffy charged forward. She made it to the base of the stairs. She hopped onto the railing and ran up it. Students made noise at the spectacle and Nancy turned to see her. Buffy leapt up toward the roof and grabbed onto the edge. She swung herself forward in a ball, then back, up, and over she did a back flip forward to land on her feet on the roof tile.

Nancy said, "I could have done that."

Buffy ran across the roof and smashed through a boarded up tower window behind him landing in a crouch. He spun surprised and held the rifle pointing at her, "Get away from me!"

Buffy slowly stands up, "Jonathan, you wanna point that somewhere else?"

He pointed the rifle slightly to the side, "Don't you try and stop me!"

Buffy put her hand up but took a step forward, "No, no, no stopping. Just here for the view. Hey, look, City Hall."

Jonathan was frazzled and sweating, "Go away!"

"Never gonna happen."

"You think I won't use this?"

"I don't know Jonathan." She took a step forward, "I just-"

He lurched back from her, aimed the gun straight at her and commanded, "Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"Stop saying my name like we're friends! We're not friends! You all think I'm an idiot! A short idiot!"

Buffy replied matter-of-factly, "I don't. I don't think about you much at all. Nobody here really does. Bugs you, doesn't it. You have all this pain, and all these feelings and nobody's really paying attention."

"You think I just want attention?"

"No. I think you're up in the clock tower with a high-powered rifle because you wanna blend in. Believe it or not, Jonathan, I understand about the pain."

"Oh right. Cuz the burden of being beautiful and athletic, that's a crippler."

"You know what? I was wrong. You are an idiot. My life happens to, on occasion, suck beyond the telling of it. Sometimes more than I can handle. And it's not just mine. Every single person down there is ignoring your pain because they're too busy with their own." Jonathan lowered the rifle more. Buffy stepped toward the window. She looked down at the Quad below. "The beautiful ones. The popular ones. The guys that pick on you. Everyone." Jonathan slowly moved up behind her to see what she was seeing. He stepped up right next to her. "If you could hear what they were feeling. The loneliness. The confusion. It looks quiet down there. It's not. It's deafening." She turned to face him, "You know, I could've taken that by now."

"I know."

Buffy held her hand out, "I'd rather do it this way."

He thought for a moment, then handed her the rifle. She turned and pulled the bolt back, and the bullet ejected. She set the gun down, then turned back to him. He explained, "I just wanted it to stop."

"Yeah, well, mass-murder, not really doctor recommended for that type of pain. Besides, prison, you know, it's a lot like high school, only instead of noogies…."

"What are you talking about?"

"Actions having consequences. You know, stuff like that."

"I, I, I wouldn't ever hurt anybody." Buffy looked at him confused and he explained, further, "I came up here to kill myself."

* * *

Buffy ran to the cafeteria and heard Xander yelling, **"Rat Poison! Rat Poison!"** He knocked over a table. Crazed he turned and knocked over another one. He ran, and knocked a bunch of trays off another table. The lunch lady busted out from the kitchen doors. Xander tried to escape but tripped over a chair and tumbled to the floor. The lunch lady charged for him. Xander shielded himself as she pulled her arm back. Buffy clamped her hand on the lunch lady's wrist, preventing her from swinging.

Buffy tried to defuse the situation, "Okay, let's calm down."

The lunch lady was having none of it and growled, "Vermin! You're all vermin. You come in here and you eat, and you eat. Filth!"

Buffy said, "I don't see this being settled with logic." Buffy pulled the lunch lady forward by her arm, then twisted her wrist back. The butcher's knife flew across the room, rebounded off a wall, and clattered to the ground. The lunch lady took a swing at Buffy which Buffy easily ducked. Buffy double hooked the lunch lady and connected the hit both times. The lunch lady lurched back. Buffy finished her with a reverse roundhouse. The large woman flew across the room, knocking over tables and a student, but was knocked unconscious. Buffy turned to Xander who was still terrified on the floor.

Willow and Buffy walked together* in the garden at the mansion. Giles walked up to them to check on Buffy, *"Morning."

"Hi, Giles," the girls said in unison.

"Oh!* I should get to school. I'm meeting someone at *the yearbook office. I'm gonna give 'em the murderer profiles. They're really a good read," Willow said and excused herself.

Buffy waved bye.

Giles said, "Bye."

Willow called out, "Cya."

Buffy and Giles continue on together, "How are you?"

"Loving the quiet. Nobody in here but me."

"Jonathan? How's he?"*

"Willow says that he's feeling *pretty crappy. His parents are freaking. He got suspended. And toting a piece to school, not exactly winning him a place with the in-crowd. But, * she *thinks he's dealing."

"Well, it's good of* her *to check on him."

"Well, it's nice to be able to help someone in a non-slaying capacity. Except, * Willow said that *he's starting to get that look, you know, like he's gonna ask me* or her *to Prom."

"Well, it would probably be good for his self-esteem, if you..."

"Oh come on! What* are we*, Saint Buffy* and Saint Willow*? He's like three feet tall!* And, hello, Angel and Oz. They would never understand!"

"I'm glad to see you've recovered from your psychic encounter more or less intact.* and more your old self. *Feel up to some training?"

"Sure. We can work out* now*. You know, if you're not too busy having sex with my **mother**!"*

Angel watched from inside as *Giles walked right into a tree.*

* * *

"Hello," Angel said groggily into the phone, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Mr. MacKenzie, this is Mrs. Pride, Buffy's history teacher. How is she doing?"

"She's getting better." He looked at his wife's head on his chest, her eyes closed in a peaceful sleep. There had been no nightmares so far tonight.

"Do you know when she will return to school?"

He sighed, "I'm not sure, why?"

"Well, yesterday I collapsed during my last class of the day and my doctor has put me on bed rest until the baby's born. Everything is ok for now, but she doesn't want to take any chances. The sub that I had lined up got a full time job and can't sub and I can't find anybody to sub for me. I know you have a history degree, so I was just wondering if you would be able to sub for me."

"_Yes, you can sub today. I think I can go to school now."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Yes. Besides, if I start to feel uncomfortable I can go to the library with Giles or to your classroom, right?"_

Angel was proud of her. She was really making progress. _"Sure."_ Into the phone he stated, "Mrs. Pride, I can sub for you until you're able to get back."

"Thank you so much, Mr. MacKenzie. Snyder was going to fire me if I didn't find a sub."

"_Now why doesn't that surprise me?"_

"_Because he's an ass?"_

"Well, it's time to get up and get ready if we're going to school," Angel told her.

"Alright, alright. I'm getting up," Buffy said as she rolled out of the bed.

Angel fixed her some breakfast while she took a shower and got dressed. He noticed that she had chosen a turtleneck knit sweater with a pair of loose fitting jeans and tennis shoes.

* * *

"Buffy, are you back?" Willow asked when she saw Angel and Buffy walk in the library.

"I'm going to try it today, Will."

"Great! Are you here for moral support, Angel? Or are you looking up something?"

"Mrs. Pride had to take maternity leave early, so I'm going to sub until she gets back."

* * *

Looking at a book in his hand, Giles walked out of his office and said, "Angel, I think I found something. There have been other cases of couples able to call upon their Bonded Mate in extreme duress, so that must have been the reason that you were able to hear Buffy's cries for help. See, look at this." Giles then looked up to see Buffy and Willow there as well and stopped short. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't you see you there, Buffy and Willow."

"It's alright, Giles. I knew that you and Angel were looking into it. I was kinda curious myself," Buffy reassured her father-figure.

"Are you here for school?"

"Yes. I'm going to try to attend some classes today. If I have a hard time, then I'll just come hang out with you or stay in Angel's class. He's subbing for Mrs. Pride."

Giles smiled, "Well, Buffy, I'm sure that you'll do fine."

"Thanks."

The bell rang and everyone went to their own class.

* * *

"Who was the father of the detective story?" Mrs. Parsons asked the English class during her review of the past unit. She looked around and called on one of the students who she thought was paying attention, "Cordelia?"

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," Cordelia said proudly, confidant that she was right.

"No, it's not him," Mrs. Parsons answered as she walked up and down the isles of desks in her classroom. "Buffy, do you know the answer?"

Buffy wrote down a name on a piece of paper and as the teacher walked by her desk, she read aloud, "Edgar Allan Poe."

The class laughed and one boy said, "He was the author of the horror story."

"No, she's right. Edgar Allan Poe is known as the 'Father of the detective story or mystery story'. And it will be on the test tomorrow."

Buffy sighed in relief that she was right. The rest of the class went well and the teacher didn't call on her again.

* * *

Her next class was the class that Angel was subbing in. When Buffy and her friends walked into the classroom, they saw that the blinds had been closed, but there was still plenty of light for everyone.

"Mr. Angel MacKenzie Today's Assignment: Review," was written on the blackboard.

After Angel called roll, one of the girls in the class asked, "How is Mrs. Pride? We heard that she collapsed yesterday."

"Mrs. Pride is doing fine. Her doctor has put her on bed rest until the baby is born. I will be your teacher until she is able to return. Today we will be reviewing in class, so that I can see where you are."

One of the boys asked, "You're Buffy's husband right? How do we know that you won't grade her papers differently?"

"Because Principal Snyder has already said that he will have another teacher grade Buffy's papers and Mrs. Pride will give him all the tests in a sealed envelope that neither Buffy nor I will see before it's time to take the test," Angel said.

He looked around the room and asked, "Any other questions?" Angel thought that Xander was about to ask a question, but everyone remained silent.

"I know from Buffy's lessons that you have been studying the Civil War. How many soldiers were killed at the battle of Fort Sumter?"

A girl raised her hand and with a grin on her face said, "One."

"I'm sorry, that's not right. Anyone else want to try?" Angel saw Willow's hand go up, "Willow, I know you know the answer. Let's see if someone else remembers. Ok?" As Angel looked around the room, he saw that no one else raised their hand. He purposely sat on the corner of the teacher's desk in front of the room. "Buffy, do you remember?"

Buffy looked like she felt trapped. She wanted to let her husband know that she remembered the answer, but she didn't want to say it aloud. She took a deep breath, looked into his eyes and said in a low voice, "None."

Angel smiled at his wife and said, "Right. Now, Willow, why don't you tell the class about the first causality after the War started."

"The first actual battle casualty of the Civil War was a U.S orderly hit by thrown objects during a riot with a pro-secession group in Baltimore, Ohio on April 18, 1861. No soldiers were killed in the battle at Ft. Sumter, the opening of the conflict. However, the first soldier killed after the war started was at Ft. Sumter, where a Union soldier was killed in an _accidental_ explosion during the _evacuation_ _after_ the battle on April 13, 1861."

For the rest of the class they just discussed The Civil War and every once in a while, Angel would call on Buffy to answer a question, though she never raised her hand.

* * *

The rest of Buffy classes went well for her; none of the other teachers called on her to answer a question.

Buffy knew that she could go to the library with Angel and Giles at lunch, but she decided that she could sit with her friends in the cafeteria. After lunch, Buffy and Willow walked into the nearest girls' bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Buffy froze with her back against the wall and she turned real pale. She started to mumble, "No, No, don't. Please stop."

Willow turned, saw her, and realized that Buffy was reliving the attack, "Come on, Buffy, this bathroom is too crowded. We can to another one."

Cordelia saw the whole thing through the mirror and before anyone else noticed, she dropped her lipstick back into her purse and went over to help Willow. Buffy was frozen and wasn't moving. She took one arm while Willow took the other arm and they slowly walked her out of the bathroom.

Angel had felt his Mate's distress and had just walked up to the bathroom. He was about to go in unannounced when the three girls walked out. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. We just walked into the bathroom like we do everyday and she freaked," Willow said as Buffy walked into her husband's arms.

"It must have been the bathroom. He pulled her into a bathroom. So that must be it," Angel mused aloud.

Buffy put her hand on a bare patch of skin on Angel and said through the bond, _"I'm sorry. I thought I was ready."_

"_You are ready to come to school. You made it through all of your classes. You don't have to use these bathrooms. You can use the one in Giles' office."_

"_Can I just stay with you?"_

"_Yeah, you can stay with me," _Angel said as they walked toward his classroom.

* * *

_If we don't do something, we will never hear her sweet sexy voice again. She hasn't talked since she came out of the bathroom,_Angelus thought.

Buffy was sitting at Angel's desk with her head down as Angel taught the class that she took last year. This was the class that she had to write the report on Ireland for.

"Mrs. Pride wants you to pick an European Country and a century to write a report on. You will be able to do research on the century and Country during class when we go to the library. Your choices of centuries are from 1500 to 1900. You need to include all major historical events for your country during your century. This includes, rulers, wars, famines, disease epidemics, what they economy was like, clothing/fashion, etcetera. Bonus points for including what a typical day was like for each class of people and any other trivia."

"What kind of trivia?" one of the girls asked.

Angel walked to the back of the class and asked, "Buffy, what are the symbols on the claddagh and what do they mean?"

Buffy looked up at her husband and thought, _Why are you doing this to me? Ok, you can do this, just look into his eyes. He listens to you._ She looked into his eyes and said, "A claddagh has two hands holding a heart with a crown above the heart. The hands stand for friendship, the crown for loyalty, and the heart is for love. Claddagh rings were exchanged as a sign of devotion in the 1700s in Ireland. If you wore it on your right hand with the heart facing outward, you were looking for love, if you wore it on your right hand, heart facing inward, you had a boyfriend/girlfriend or were betrothed or engaged. There was only one way to wear it on your left hand and that was heart facing in and that meant that you were spoken for or married."

"Thank you. I believe that Buffy received 10 bonus points for that when she wrote her paper last year."

The rest of the day went good. In each class, Angel got Buffy to help him explain the paper to the students. When classes were over for the day, Angel and Buffy went to the library for Buffy to report to work. Since she had missed the three hours of work, that she normally does, Angel was going to help her do her work and then take her home to do her homework.

* * *

When they got to the library, they saw Willow, Xander, and Oz sitting at one of the tables with a man that they didn't know.

"Hey, guys," Angel said.

"Hey, Buffy," Willow said.

"Miss Summers, I presume?" the stranger asked.

Buffy didn't want to be rude, but she didn't want to talk to this stranger either, so she let Angel do the talking.

"Who are you?" Angel asked.

"Ah, you must Angelus. I've heard that you help out Buffy and Faith. I wonder if you might tell me about your soul some time? My name is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

Buffy raised her eyebrow at him and turned to Giles and asked, "New watcher?"

Giles nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Is he evil? You said that the last one was evil."

"Uh, I have called the Council and they confirm that he is who he says he is."

"I don't trust the Council anymore. He can be Faith's watcher, but I don't need one."

"Miss Summers, if you will not listen to me, then I will have to report to the Council that Mr. Giles' presence is hindering my authority."

Buffy turned to Wesley and said, "This has nothing to do with Giles. It has to do with the Council drugging me without my knowledge. I don't trust them anymore."

"I don't believe you and if you refuse to listen to me as your Watcher, I will have Mr. Giles removed from your life."

Buffy looked shocked, but she knew she was backed in a corner. Angel and the others just watched to see what Buffy would do. She grabbed Angel's hand discreetly and through the bond told him, _Fine, but I will not be alone with him. I will have someone I trust with me anytime he is around me._

Angel sighed and told the new Watcher, "Fine, but Buffy and Faith won't be left alone with you. There will be someone that we trust with you anytime you are around them."

When Wesley saw everyone else in the room nod their head in agreement, he conceded, "That's acceptable as long as you listen to me."

"Giles, what do I need to do?"

"Buffy, I'm your watcher now, not Mr. Giles. You need to come to me for your slaying assignments."

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes and before Buffy could let Angel know what she wanted to tell the man, he said, "This isn't slaying business. It's library business. One of Buffy's classes is to work for Giles here in the library."

"Oh. Well then. After you finish your work for Mr. Giles, we will train."

"Buffy, the files that need to be filed are in my office, and there are some books that have been returned that need to be put back on the shelf."

"I'll put the books away for you, you go file, Muirnín," Angel said.

"Thanks," Buffy said so low he was he only one who heard her.

* * *

As she was filing she asked Giles, "Do you trust him?"

"He's fresh out of the Watcher's Academy and blindly trusts the Council. So until he learns that they don't always know what is best, we need to be careful."

"Does he know about Angel and me?"

"As far as I know, he doesn't know. However, if you and Angel keep holding hands while he's in the room, he might start to suspect."

"He will find out quick if he comes to my house. We have wedding pictures over the fire place, Giles."

"Well then, only let him in the training room. It has an entrance from the outside."

"Good idea."

It took Buffy and Angel thirty minutes to finish the work. Wesley followed Giles to the Mansion while Buffy and Angel took the tunnels under the city.

* * *

"Only use this entrance," Giles told Wesley as they used the entrance from the garden.

"It looks like someone lives here," Wesley commented as Angel and Buffy stepped out from the shadows.

"We do," Angel said as he let everyone in through the door to the training room.

Faith was practicing with a kickboxing bag when they walked in. She stopped when she saw the new man walk in with her roommates. "New watcher?"

"New Watcher," Buffy confirmed.

"Screw that," Faith said and left.

Buffy rolled her eyes, and said, "I'll go get her."

She caught up with Faith in the kitchen. "You know, we already told him that he won't be left alone with us. Some one that we trust will be with us anytime he's in the room. Angel will probably be there most of the time."

"After what they did to you, how can you even entertain listing to them?"

"Because they'll make sure that Giles gets kicked out of the country if we don't. Even if I do, if you don't, he will make sure that Giles can't be around us."

"So they're blackmailing us?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Faith rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, but only because Giles means so much to you."

"Thanks," Buffy smiled.

* * *

They went back into the training room where Wesley told them, "Just train as you normally do. I just want to see where you are in your training." He was impressed with the synchronization of the trio. He could tell that Buffy and Angel were the most in sync but Faith was also on the same wave length as they were. He was surprised at the teamwork that the trio had.

Faith was surprised that this training session didn't turn into a make-out session for Buffy and Angel like it usually did. They actually waited until Wesley left and they were out of the training room to start smooching.

* * *

_**A/N 2: Chapter 9 is at the betas. If everything goes as planned there will only be 11 chapters. I still have to write Chapters 10 and 11. And then I will be ready to send them off and post them. Also Seasons 4 and 5 are done. I was blocked on this season and skipped it after I finished Season 2. But I knew I had to do this season before I could post Seasons 4 & 5. Anyone want to beta all of Book 2 for me and then send it back to me, so that I can get on a regular posting schedule for it so it's not taking years to post? (Like I said, this season gave me fits with writer's block so I blame that.) I have read your comments and suggestions for Faith in regards to the upcoming chapters. Rest assured I have taken every possibly into account and went with what I thought was best for this story.**_


	9. Chapter 9

With Arms Wide Open Book 2 Chapter 9

A/N: Between Chapters 7 and Chapter 9, The Wish and Dopplegangland happened. I have Anya in the next Book, so she needs to be around and for her to be around these two episodes have to happen.

Translations: For the web site that I use for my translations, google English Irish Dictionary

Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat = I love you so much

* * *

"So, I saw Xander coming from your floor this morning" Buffy told Faith while on patrol.

"Yeah so?"

"I was just curious is all."

"What? Are you and Angel gonna dictate my sex life now?"

"Sex?! Who said anything about sex?" Faith raised an eyebrow at her. "I was just curious as to why Xander, one of my best friends, spent the night up on your floor, in one of your empty rooms instead of one of the empty rooms on my floor. I didn't say anything about sex."

"Well now you know."

"Oh. So ummm, when did you two become a couple?"

"Who said anything about being a couple? We met after patrol, I needed a release, he was willing, it happened, the end. We both had a good time. If he wants another go, fine. If not then that's fine too. There are plenty of other guys that will give me what I want."

"And what is it that you want, Faith?"

"Sex with no strings attached. We can be friends or it could a one night stand with a stranger. I don't care. I don't want nor do I need an exclusive relationship like you have."

"Well, if that's what you want."

Faith looked at her and grinned, "I just told you that I had a one night stand with your best friend and you're really OK with it?"

"Faith, as long as neither of you gets hurt, I'm out of it. It's none of my business."

"Then why did you ask?"

Buffy sighed, "You'll think that I'm being petty and jealous."

"OK, you really have me curious now."

"Because, I thought that he had a problem that he went to you with instead of me." When Faith raised her eyebrow, Buffy explained, "I mean like he needed advice on getting Cordy back or some other problem he needed to talk about."

Faith smiled, "You thought that I was taking your place as best friend?"

"Silly, huh?"

"No. It's not," was all Faith said.

* * *

As they were patrolling Sunny Rest Cemetery they came across a group of vampires that were trying to break into a tomb. They quickly dispatched the vampires; however, Buffy noticed that one got away. They tried to track it, but as soon as they arrived to the street the trail went cold.

The girls went to the school library to report what happened and when they arrived there Giles and Angel were in Giles' office while Wesley was sitting at one of the tables reading a Watcher's Diary. Giles had given him all of the books and diaries that belonged to the Council. The books and diaries that Buffy had inherited from her grandmother were at the mansion. When Giles was fired, they decided that they should move all their personal books from the school library to the library in the mansion. They didn't want to take any chances of the council "confiscating" Buffy's inheritance.

"How was patrol?"

"Vampires," Buffy said.

"They're dust," Faith said as she and Buffy grinned and high fived each other.

"Can you tell me more?"

"They wore armor," Faith said.

"What kind of armor?" Angel asked as he came out of the office.

"Leather," Faith answered.

"Any designs?"

"Yeah. It sorta looked like your family crest only with different designs," Buffy said.

Angel drew the shape of his family crest, "Two sides or four?"

"Four."

"OK. What was in the top left box?"

"A pentagram and top right corner was an upside down cross. The bottom left was a red ram and the bottom right was a red vulture. Overall the whole thing was black and red," Buffy explained.

"That sounds familiar," Giles said.

Wesley tried to impress everyone. "Well it should. It's the order of Zimmerman. It's run by Heinrich Nest's, master of the order of Aurelius, twin brother Sven Nest. They were extremely competitive and tried on several occasions to wipe out each other's order. Sven was dusted about a hundred years ago. I'm certain that the vampires were after a sword that belonged to Sven. It was said that Heinrich had one of his minions steal it from Sven, while Sven had a sword stolen from Heinrich. I'm sure they want it purely for sentimental reasons. It has no power in it. Rumor is that the sword was sold to a weapon's collector here in Sunnydale about 20 years ago. However, just a few weeks after he bought it he died and the sword was buried with him in a tomb."

"And the vampires want this sword for sentimental reasons?" Giles asked doubtfully.

"Yes," Wesley said confidently. "But we should keep it out of their hands all the same. Buffy, Faith, you will go back to the cemetery and retrieve the sword from Aswell's tomb and bring it back to me for safe keeping."

"We will?" Faith asked.

"You're not used to receiving orders?" Wesley asked.

"They're not used to being treated rudely," Angel said.

Wesley was stunned. "Well, I certainly didn't mean to be rude. How else was I supposed to say it?"

"A please and thank you go a long way. Phrasing it as a question would even be more polite," Angel explained.

"Giles gives me a cookie afterwards," Buffy inserted.

"If I ask a question they have a choice and it's not a choice. It's an order," Wesley recited what he had learned at the Watcher's Academy.

"Listen, watcher junior, they are not your slaves. You ***will*** talk to them respectfully or not at all. Do I make myself clear?" Angelus demanded as he asserted himself.

Faith was stunned at Angel's harsh tone; while Buffy was worried that Angelus would see her new watcher as a threat. Wesley just nodded his head in the affirmative and Angel struggled for control again.

As they were leaving the library, Angel heard Wesley ask, "Are you sure that he just helps them out with the slaying and a place to stay?"

"I have told you everything that has to do with slaying. It's up to them to tell you anything about their personal lives," Giles responded. "Personally, I don't ask."

* * *

The three warriors walked into the night. As Buffy and Faith turned toward home, Angel turned toward his old apartment.

"Where you goin', Big Bro?"

"I'm going to get an enchanted sword," Angelus replied.

"But we were going to wait until tomorrow to do that, you know let him sweat some," Buffy said.

"You don't have to get it. I'm going. We can pretend that I don't have the sword yet, if you want to, but I need to get that sword."

"Why? Wesley said it was harmless," Faith said.

"Wesley's an idiot. Aurelius and Zimmerman were not trying to destroy each other. The twin Masters were very protective of each other and Sven was not dusted a hundred years ago. It was staged. Other orders were starting to suspect that their feud was just a battle plan to wipe out their true enemies."

"How would that work?" Buffy asked.

"Whenever an order would align themselves with the Master because they wanted to wipe out Sven's order, the Master would accept their allegiance and hold a ball in their honor where the entire order was to attend. The members of the other order were trapped as the Master had every one of them dusted. Sven would do the same thing."

"So why is the sword so special?" Faith asked.

"Because this sword and its mate were enchanted, allowing the ability to raise a dusted vampire. All they have to do is get the two swords together, say a spell and they will have raised a vampire."

"So, you think that they are trying to raise someone?" Faith asked.

"I know they are."

"Do you know who?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy….."

"Angel, who are they trying to raise?" Buffy interrupted knowing that Angel was trying some way not to tell her.

Angel looked down knowing that he had to tell her. "They're twins, Buffy. Just because you become a vampire doesn't mean that those familiar bonds are broken."

"They're going to try to raise the Master, but they can't because I grounded up his bones."

"This spell doesn't need his bones and it will make him almost invincible."

"Angelus…."

"Buffy, I know. I'm going to stop it."

"But you're going the wrong way."

"No, I'm not. It's not in Aswell's tomb."

"How do you know?"

"Because, I moved it after you killed the Master."

"Where to?" Buffy asked.

* * *

They entered the old apartment's sewer's access. About 200 yards on the left from the entrance was a loose stone. Angelus removed the loose stone and drew the sword out of the opening.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Great, now we destroy it."

"We can't destroy it, yet." When the slayers gave him a questioning look, he explained, "They can only be destroyed together. It's part of the enchantment spell that was put on them."

"Oh. Well, you wouldn't happen to know where the other sword is do you?"

"Not yet. The only reason I knew where this sword was located was because Darla told me about it while gloating that it didn't matter if we killed the Master or not. She was the one who sold it to Aswell and then visited him a week later and killed him. When she heard that his family buried the sword with him, she thought that was the perfect hiding place. I don't have any friends in the Order of Zimmerman. The only thing we can do is keep this sword from them. If we happen to find its mate, then we can destroy them."

* * *

Angel went back to the school to pick up some papers he needed to grade, while the slayers went on patrol. When he walked into the library, he heard Wesley saying, "Not to worry. My scenario has them back in one minute."

Angel rolled his eyes, "Giles."

"Ah, see?" Wesley said, and then he noticed that Angel was alone. "Where are the slayers?"

Angel looked at him and said, "Your little 'scenario', as you called it, had the wrong information. Buffy's lucky that I knew where the sword was. You need to keep researching to find out where its mate is. If they get both swords together…."

"Just destroy the sword that you have."

"You have to destroy both of them together. You're their watcher, so research it!" Angel went into Giles' office and got the papers he had to grade.

As he came out, Buffy and Faith came into the library, Buffy holding a jeweled sword. "Is this the right sword, ba…, Angel?"

"Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat. That's it," Angel said.

"Great. We can destroy them tonight," Faith said.

"Giles, I need these ingredients. I'm going to take the girls home. We can do this tomorrow night," Angel said as he reached for the sword.

Wesley grabbed the sword and said, "Why don't you bring the mate here tonight and I can destroy them myself. After all I am their watcher."

Angel looked at him like he had grown two heads. "Because, the spell has to be preformed by a member of one of the two orders on the night of the New Moon. If someone tries to destroy the swords who is not part of one of the Orders, the caster will be killed. If the spell is cast on a night other than the New Moon, then the swords will not be destroyed. Tomorrow is the night of the New Moon for this month. You're more than welcome to be here when I destroy them. The spell has to be done where the Master died."

"Well then, wouldn't it be safer to keep the sword here?"

Angel looked at him and then at Giles. He knew that Giles would keep it safe. "Fine."

"What time does the spell have be done?" Giles asked.

"Midnight."

"Buffy, Faith, you will…uh…will you patrol before then, please?"

"Sure." Faith said off handedly. "Since you asked so nicely."

* * *

The next night, Buffy and Faith were patrolling in one of the many cemeteries when they were attacked by some of the Zimmerman Vampires. As Buffy staked the last vampire, a man came up into the middle of the fight and Buffy yelled out, "Wait, no!"

But, it was too late, Faith drove the stake home only to realize in horror that she had staked a human.

"Call 911!" Buffy cried out as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Faith stood motionlessly in shock and watched in horror as the man took his last breath. "We have to get out of here!" Faith said in panic. She grabbed a shocked Buffy and ran. "Split up!" Faith said imagining a horde of people after them.

Buffy's mind was racing. What should she do? She knew running wasn't right. It only made things worse. It would look like they had set out to kill him. She had to find Faith and had to convince her to go to Giles. Giles would know what to do. She got up and tried to find Faith. Instead of finding Faith, she found Angel.

Angelus smelled the blood on Buffy's hands and checked her over. It didn't smell like her blood, but he wanted to make sure.

"It's not mine. I'm fine," Buffy said as she jerked her hand away from his. She had to avoid skin to skin contact until she got control of her thoughts. He would find out.

"It may not be your blood, but you're not fine. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Buffy whispered as she looked away. She hated lying to her husband, her bonded mate, but she was scared of what he would think.

Angelus grabbed her hand and saw what she thinking. The whole slaying scene played out. "Buffy, leannán, it's not nothing. It's a big something and it wasn't your fault and it wasn't Faith's fault. We will talk about it later.

"Right now, we have to go get Giles. The Order of Zimmerman has him and the new watcher."

"The swords?"

"I have the one given to the Master. If we kill Sven with it, then he can't be brought back. And then we can get the sword you found last night back and destroy them both."

"Let's do it," Buffy said.

"Buffy, …."

"Angelus, I won't be shocked to see the Master. I know that it's not him. It's his twin."

Angelus was confused, "They didn't look alike."

"Oh. Well then what is it?"

"We will have to do some role playing for us to be able to get the sword."

"Ok. So you have a plan?"

"You know how when I call you mine you say it right back?"

"Yeah. It's just your way of saying 'I love you'."

"Yes and no. When we are in there, when I call you mine, I need you to reply 'yours' back instead."

"Why?"

"Because it's just the way that things are done. Right now, I'm technically the Master of Aurelius, which means that my Bonded and Marked Mate wouldn't be making a claim on me, but she would be declaring that she is mine."

"Ok. Anything else I need to know?"

Angelus told her everything that she needed to know for his plan to work. He didn't know how long they could fool the Order of Zimmerman, but he would try to fool them long enough to get the swords and the watchers out safely.

* * *

When Buffy and Angelus arrived at the warehouse, that the Order of Zimmerman was using, they heard Sven say, "I want the name of the one who has my sword!"

"I don't think he has the sword in his possession; he just knows where it is," Wesley stammered.

"His name!"

"I can't remember right now. My mind has gone blank," Wesley replied weakly.

"Let him go and I'll tell you everything I know," Giles said.

"No one is going anywhere! If I do not get my sword back, then I will torture you until you beg me to kill you. What is his name?!"

"His name is Angelus, Master Sven." Angelus said as he and Buffy walked in. "Is this the sword that you are looking for?"

"Angelus! Surely you brought the sword to raise your Master! After all he did name you second in command. He thought that you would make a great Master in his absence. That is until we were able to raise him."

Angelus walked over to Giles and Wesley. He growled and vamped out as if he was going to bite him. Wesley fainted and Angelus said, "What a weakling. There's no fun in that one."

"Bring the sword to me, Angelus and your Master will be back in just minutes."

"Now tell me, why would I want to raise someone who is a threat to my Marked and Bonded Mate?"

Giles knew the tone and stance that Angel was projecting and knew that he was calling on the demon to help. He hoped that things wouldn't go too far.

"Angelus has chosen a Mate? And bonded with her? I would think that your Master would be pleased."

"Leannán, come here."

Buffy came around a corner and said, "So, where's my sword? You promised me a shiny sword like yours."

Angelus grinned, "I spoil her too much."

The other master laughed, "Good one, Angelus. You almost had me. To think I almost believed that you Bonded with The Slayer."

"You don't believe me?"

"Come on, Angelus, she's The Slayer. How can any of us Mark and Bond with The Slayer? If you want me to believe that, then you will have to prove it."

"Just look at her Mark." Angelus tilted Buffy's head gently so that her Mark was plainly visible to all the vampires in the room. He also bent down with his fangs extended and lightly scraped them against the Mark. "Mine."

"Yours," Buffy replied.

"She bares my scent and my Mark. She's Mine and by extension so is anyone who is hers. You stole two people from my Marked and Bonded Mate!" He then turned to his Mate and said, "Baby, let's get your sword." Angelus decapitated the nearest vamp while Buffy staked the one in front of her. Buffy threw Giles a stake and he joined the fight. Buffy staked a vamp with a sword and as he turned to dust, she picked up the sword and started to use the sword to dust the vamps. Giles did the same thing when he saw a sword lying on the ground. It didn't take long before the three of them had all of the vampires dusted except for Sven.

"Heinrich and I could have stopped the mayor's plans. When he ascends, you'll regret killing me and wish that you would have brought back your Master!"

Angelus didn't think about it, he just decapitated the vamp with the jeweled sword as Buffy and Giles watched him turn to dust.

* * *

Angelus carried Wesley out of the factory in a fireman's hold. When the fresh air hit him, Wesley started to come around, but still acted like he was out. "Giles, why don't you come over for a drink?"

_"Angelus, what are you doing? We have find Faith."_

_"I'll find Faith; you talk to Giles."_

Giles knew that something was wrong. Angel had never asked him over for a drink before. "Sure," he agreed.

Wesley didn't know what to think. He had passed out in there and then came to during the fight only to be knocked out by one of the vampires. He wasn't sure if Angel was as "tame" as the slayers had thought. So he wasn't sure if Mr. Giles was safe in having a drink with him.

"Would you be so kind as to put me down?" Wesley asked.

When Angelus pictured dropping him on his butt, with a smile on her face, Buffy told him, _"Don't even think about it."_

Angelus put Wesley on his feet. "Thank you." He paused as he thought about if he should voice his concerns.

"What is, watcher jr.?" Angelus asked.

"Well, it's just that you seemed too friendly in there."

"Well, I had to save your ass didn't I? You got yourself and Rupert kidnapped."

"So, it was all just an act?"

Angelus looked at Wesley and didn't reply to him. Wesley turned and went home.

* * *

"Angel, what's going on?" Giles asked as they walked into the mansion.

"Buffy and Faith need to talk to you. I'm going to go get Faith." Angelus started to head for the stairs.

"Angelus, we don't know where she is."

"She's in her room." When Buffy looked confused, he continued, "I can hear her heartbeat." _*And smell her scent,*_ he added to himself.

"Oh. Uh, can I get you anything, Giles?" Buffy asked her father figure.

"No, that's alright," Giles said.

* * *

"Faith," Angelus called out as he knocked on her door.

She opened it up and saw his solemn eyes and said, "She told you."

"No, she didn't. She tried to avoid telling me to the point that she wouldn't let me touch her. That's when I knew something was wrong, so I took her hand and I saw it. She couldn't stop thinking about it." He paused and then went on, "You both need to talk to Giles."

"Why? It's done. It can't be undone."

"The body," Angel started.

"I took care of it."

Angelus got a bad feeling about that. "Took care of it?"

"Yeah. I took it to the docks, weighted it, and dumped it."

Angelus sighed, "I wish you would have let me take care of it."

Faith looked at him with curiosity.

Angelus smiled, "You're family, Faith. I take care of my family. Part of that is making sure that you talk to Giles about this. He and I can help you with this. And if he can't, then he knows someone who can."

"Help me?"

"Deal with the guilt."

"How can _you_ help me deal with any guilt, _Angelus_?" When Angelus looked surprised, Faith said, "Buffy sometimes calls you Angel and sometimes Angelus. I live with you, I know your mannerisms. I know who's in control – even if those idiots who she calls friends don't." _And I get a sense of danger whenever you're in control._

Angelus smirked, "Smart girl."

"So why are you in control right now?"

"Just go downstairs and talk to Giles. Buffy's down there already."

"And what spend the rest of my young life behind bars? No thanks."

"Faith, I will make sure that you and Buffy don't go to jail. I will be there the whole time and if I think for one moment that Giles is going to endanger you or Buffy, I will take care of it."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Yes."

Faith walked out of the door and Angelus followed her down the stairs.

* * *

Buffy sat curled up on the couch, while Giles got a fire going. He knew she would talk when she was ready and he was prepared to be there all night if that's what it took. He would wait for her.

Faith and Angelus descended the stairs. Angelus sat down next his Mate and took her in his arms. Faith sat at the opposite end of the couch.

"Faith, why don't you tell Rupert what happened on patrol," Angelus suggested.

Faith rolled her eyes. She didn't _want_ to say anything, but it looked as if she didn't have a choice. "We were attacked by some Zimmerman vamps. As we were dusting them, a man got in the middle and…," she couldn't say it. If she said it, then it would make it real. "Buffy yelled out for me to stop, but I didn't understand until he didn't turn to dust."

Giles took the Lord's name in vain under his breath before he said, "Faith, it was an accident. You're not blame and neither are you Buffy."

"Giles, we killed a man tonight, and you say it's not our fault?"

"Buffy, this isn't the first time that a human has gotten in the middle of a fight with a slayer and a vamp. It's happened before. Your _adrenaline_ is pumping and you're focused on dusting vampires or killing demons. The important thing is it's not your fault. Angel and I will take care of the body. Make sure it's never found. Ordinarily, the council would do it, but I don't want to involve them. All they would do is take you girls to London and hold a trial to make sure it was an accident and, when they find out that it was, put you both through counseling before letting you return home. I think that between Angel and I, we can help you girls, if you think you need to talk about it. At this time, I don't think that you will need professional counseling."

"And if turns out that we do?" Buffy asked.

"Then I will have a friend of mine come and talk to you."

"This friend of yours works for the council?"

"Yes, but she is still a good friend of mine, I am confident that she will keep this just between us and not involve Travers." Giles paused. "I hate to ask, but I need to know. Where is the body?"

"I, uh, I went back and took it to the docks, weighted it, and dumped it."

"I'll go tomorrow night to make sure it's not found," Angelus told Giles.

"Do you think you girls can sleep or do you need to talk about it some more?"

"What's to say?" Faith asked.

Giles nodded his head and Buffy just snuggled into Angelus. _"I don't know if I can sleep,but I'm not so sure what to say either."_

"I'm here. You don't have to say anything."

Giles' mind switched to the swords they had. He glanced at his watch and said, "Well, it's almost midnight. We should destroy the swords."

"Wait a minute. Angelus, do the swords only bring back Heinrich and Sven?" Buffy asked.

"No. They will bring back the last master of the order to be dusted."

"And you're the master of Aurelius now?"

"Yes," he said cautiously.

"So that would mean that if you were dusted, I could use these swords to bring you back, right."

"Buff, it's not a good idea. You have to be a member of Aurelius to do the spell."

"And being your Marked and Bonded Mate makes me part of Aurelius."

"You would have to learn the spell, Buffy and only you could do it. Willow and Giles couldn't help you."

"Fine. I'll do it. I'd just feel better if I had some way of knowing that if something were to happen…."

"Fine. I know a place in LA that I can hide these. I'll take them there the next time we go see your father."

Buffy smiled.

* * *

Buffy woke up from the nightmare of a dead man pulling her down underwater and holding her there. When she looked around, she was alone. She went down stairs and saw that her husband was watching the early morning news.

"Damn. I really wish she would have let me take care of this."

"Morning."

"Morning, muirnín. Do me a favor. Don't talk to any police without me present."

"Ok. What's going on?"

"They found the body, and it's been identified as the Deputy Mayor. Something that Sven said right before I dusted him is bothering me about this whole thing."

"You think maybe he sought us out?"

"It's possible."

"To do what? Ask for our help?"

"Yeah. If what Sven said is true and the Mayor is planning something evil. He might know about you. If he doesn't know about you personally, he probably knows about slayers."

"And they might find out that it was a wooden a stake that killed him?"

"Exactly."

"And then he will send someone to find the slayer."

"Right."

"Morning guys. What's up?"

"They found the body, Faith," Buffy said as she left the room to go start on breakfast. She wasn't hungry, but she felt like she needed something to do and it was Saturday. So, the logical choice was to start making breakfast.

"They did?"

"Just do me a favor and don't talk to the police with out me. Alright? You're a minor and you have the right to have a guardian present."

"But I don't have a guardian."

"Yes, you do. Remember how we talked about me trying to get the paperwork to say that I'm your older brother and guardian?"

"Yes, but nothing came of it."

"I have a friend who is a forger for immortal beings. He had the papers delivered while you were in Cleveland."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because my attention was focused somewhere else, Faith," Angel whispered. "According to the paperwork I'm your half brother. Our father is dead and your mother is unfit, so I got custody of you."

"Alright."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll come up with a cover story for what the three of us were doing last night."

"Who's ready for some breakfast?" Buffy called out.

* * *

"I've got it! We were all here watching the video tapes that Hank sent to Buffy a few weeks ago. A western marathon all last night; we were watching that Pony Express TV."

"The Young Riders. Yeah. I like that story," Buffy said. "My dad and I used to watch the recordings until one in the morning. Mom would get so mad at Dad for letting me stay up that late." She smiled at the memory.

"Doesn't sound like something I would watch," Faith started. "But, I could say that while I wouldn't ordinarily watch it, that B talked me into it."

"And, Buffy, you haven't been anywhere but to school for the past month. If a police officer does come here to talk to you, we'll act like we're expecting news of Tom Adams' arrest."

* * *

The police did come to question Faith and Buffy. And all three stuck with the story that Angel had come up with. Angel gave them both a creditable alibi.

Wesley wanted the slayers to check out the deputy mayor's murder. Angel thought that it might be a good idea to see if the deputy mayor was trying to come to them for help. So they broke into his office only to find that all of his files had been removed. They also saw the mayor with a vampire walking down the hallway looking rather friendly.

* * *

Buffy and Faith were sitting in Giles' office with Giles and Angel. "You know, I was just starting to feel normal again. And now I feel like something crawled up inside and died. I feel dirty."

"Buffy, you shouldn't feel that way. _I_ was the one who staked a human," Faith said. "You've saved how many people?"

"I keep thinking that there must've been something I could have done to stop it."

"He came out of nowhere. It all happened too quick. It's not your fault. You tried to warn me, I just didn't stop in time."

"And now we find out that he might have been coming to us for help."

"We need to find a way to find out what the Mayor is up to," Angel said.

"Yes, but how?" Giles asked.

"I'm not sure, yet. Give me some time, I'll think of something," Angel replied.

* * *

That night the mansion was broken into and the residents were tazed with stun guns. While Angel and Buffy were down, the people who broke into the house, grabbed Faith and Wesley appeared out of no where and said, "By order of the Council of Great Britain, I hereby place you under arrest, Faith." The councilmen injected Faith with something that knocked her out instantly.

As soon as Angel could move again, he untangled himself and his wife. Buffy went to get Giles while Angel followed the scent to go get Faith.

Angel caught up with the truck that the kidnappers were using just as Faith jumped out of the back. He was able to catch her so she didn't fall to the ground. She looked up at him, "You came for me."

"I told you, you're family. I take care of my family. Buffy went to get Giles, go to his house."

Faith shook her head no, "That's the first place they will look for me. I'll come back as soon as it's safe." Before she ran off into the night, she turned to Angel and hugged him. "Thanks, big bro, I'll see you and B soon." And with that she disappeared into the night.

Angel wasn't worried he knew could track her by her scent and he would make sure that she was safe.

* * *

End Chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

With Arms Wide Open Book 2 Chapter 10

A/N: There isn't too much word for word from the episodes in this chapter. But there a couple of speeches I wanted to get right, so I transcribed them myself from Choices and Prom. I'm not sure who wrote these episodes.

Thanks to all my Beta Team.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

"I'm worried about Faith," Buffy said to Giles and Angel.

"She's already gained some important information, Buffy."

"I know, Giles. We wouldn't know that the mayor had destroyed all of the deputy mayor's files or that he's going to 'ascend' into something. And that says that he has something to hide. But, ever since he bought Faith her own townhouse, I'm afraid that she'll ... betray us for real."

"Why do you think that?" Angel said.

"It's just a feeling I've got. It's silly now that I've said it aloud."

"I don't think it's silly. You're worried about someone who you love as if she were your sister," Angel confirmed.

"I think that Faith can handle this, Buffy. If I didn't I wouldn't have approved this. We have taken precautions to keep her undercover work a secret. Only the three of us know about this. Everyone else thinks that she is pulling away from us."

Willow had thought that with the extra time that Buffy had to spend with Faith on account of them being housemates, that Faith was taking her place as best friend just a couple of weeks ago. Buffy had assured her that was not the case. If it would help, then she could choose a room on the same floor as her and Angel.

Buffy remembered the "intervention" the gang tried to have with Faith last week. Willow was none too pleased to find out that Xander had slept with Faith. Faith had blown him off and let him know that it didn't matter. It was only a one time deal. Xander had been confused. He thought it was more than that. He had tried to talk to her. Faith had stayed "in character" enough to make Xander believe that she didn't care. She even acted like she was going to kill him, until Angel came busting in through the door, "knocked her out" and tied her up with chains. The gang was in another room so that they could hear her "betrayal". As part of the plan, Faith got away and ran straight for the Mayor.

It had been part of the plan for Faith to attack one of the gang and get kicked out. Now she was on her own with the Mayor. The Mayor thought she was totally cut off from Buffy and Angel. They didn't expect him to buy her a townhouse, but he did. He had also been showering her with presents as well. Faith had confided in them that he was treating her as a daughter and not as a lover, which just confused her. But she had also been adamant that she was loyal to Buffy and Angel who had treated as a sister, an equal. It had been a close call, but Faith had taken the GED test the day before she left the mansion. She had no idea if she had passed it or not.

Only Giles, Buffy, and Angel knew that she was still getting messages to them. It was always while one of them was out patrolling. The first time, she talked to Buffy. The next time, she had hidden a message in a tomb. The method kept changing, so that nothing was a pattern and the Mayor wouldn't suspect anything.

Giles brought Buffy's thoughts back to the present by saying, "Well, I think that the bond that she has with the two of you is strong enough to keep her on the right path. If she hadn't moved in here, then I would worry. But, she has told me that she doesn't want to let you down. She's worried enough that she didn't pass the GED test and that you will be disappointed."

"I told her that we wouldn't be disappointed," Angel said.

Giles just shrugged his shoulders. After they had updated him, Buffy and Angel were going to go out on patrol, while Giles went into the Mansion Library to see if he could find anything about the Ascension.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

While on patrol, Buffy and Angel ran into a demon who offered them the Books of Ascension for five thousand dollars so he could get out town. Buffy and Angel pretended not have heard of them. Angel knew that Faith and one of the Mayor's henchmen were nearby. They couldn't give it away that they knew about the Mayor's Ascension plans. Buffy looked at Angel and asked, "How do we know he's telling the truth?"

"We don't."

"Tell you what, meet me here tomorrow night, I'll have the books with me then," the demon said.

With his enhanced hearing, Angel heard the mayor's henchman tell Faith, "We better let the Mayor know about this."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Later that night, Angel went to the demon and paid him for the books. However, as he was walking back home, he was attacked and he lost the books. He was sure that the demons that attacked him worked for the mayor.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy's friends now knew that the Mayor was planning something called "Ascension", and they could now join in on the search. Willow had read something about an Ascension in a book that Giles had to tried to hide from her. Ever since they had tortured Tom and her eyes and hair went black, Giles had been trying to keep certain books away from her. Apparently, he needed a new hiding place.

Giles found the book and discovered that the Ascension that the book talked about wiped out a whole town.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

While they tried to plan on getting the books back from the mayor, or at least have Faith look at the books, Faith sent them a message.

"Giles, is it even possible?" Buffy asked in the privacy of the mansion.

"Yes, it's possible," Angel said.

Buffy looked at her husband worried. He walked over to her and said, "Leannán, I made you promise on our Bond that I would protect you and anyone you consider family. I meant it. A promise made on a Bond like ours can't be broken."

"Alcoholics promise to never drink again and some still do."

"That's because they're human. Vampires cannot physically break a promise made to their marked mate on their Bond."

Giles nodded his head, although he didn't know what promise Angel made to Buffy. "Also, a vampire can't lie on their Bond either."

"So, if you were to swear to me on our Bond that you only think of Faith as a sister, then it's true. Not that I wouldn't believe you anyway. It's just that…,"

"With the mayor trying to get Faith to seduce to me to join them, it would make you feel better?"

"Forget it. I trust you, fully."

"Buffy, I swear to you on our Bond, that Faith is like a younger sister to me. I have no romantic or sexual feelings towards her. I can't speak for her, but  
I can tell you that I have never sensed anything other than sisterly love coming from her. There will be things that we might have to do to keep up the charade if the mayor keeps sending back up with her. According to her message, the mayor will be sending back up in case I get out of control. So we will have to act."

"And that might mean some kissing."

"Right."

"But you might not have to take it that far. You might be able to go a different route." Giles interjected.

"What do you mean?"

Giles explained, "Well, the demon world knows that you are Bonded Marked Mates. Some of the peaceful demons were in attendance, as was Willy. So it only stands to reason that the Mayor knows this as well. It also seems that the mayor knows that even Bonded Marked Mates are not necessarily monogamous. I think he is counting on that. I know the daemon that the mayor has summoned. He owes me a favor. I bet I can convince him to just make it seem like he is extracting Angel's Soul. Angel can act like he has really lost his soul and then you and Angel both go to the mayor. I'm sure that mayor knows that where one Bonded Mate goes, the other goes also. So, if one were to turn evil…."

"So, would the other one. It's much too painful to be on opposite sides and fight each other like that," Angelus continued.

"So, I would have to act like I've joined their team as well?"

"Yes. Do you think you can do it?" Giles asked.

"Of course."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

It went as planned. The daemon came and put on a light show that made it seem as if Angel had lost his soul. Angelus and Buffy tricked the mayor into thinking they were joining his side. They found out that the mayor was now invincible, Ascension would be on Graduation Day, and Faith was wonderful at acting like she had been played.

In the meantime, Faith was trying to find out how to stop the Ascension. But so far she hadn't found anything out.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Joyce walked into the library where Buffy was studying for a final. "Buffy, I just found out that you were accepted to Northwestern! That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

"Mom, I haven't really decided where I'm going, yet." Buffy didn't want her mom to get her hopes up, but at the same time, she didn't want to tell her that she couldn't move.

"Now, Buffy, I know that you have your slaying here. But Faith is here now. She can do the slaying here while you go off to college for four years and then when you get back, she can go to college for four years."

"Sounds like a plan, Mom. We'll talk it over." Yep her mom just wasn't getting it.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

The message from Faith said that she had to go pick up something important to the Accession at the airport. They needed to be there to intercept it.

Due to an accident on the interstate, Buffy and Angel were late getting to the airport and they missed the pickup. They did see a man who was drained of all blood with his hand cut off. It looked a though the hand had been cut off after a vampire had drained him.

They got to City Hall just in time to see a vampire exiting a parked limo. They got the information about the Box of Gavrock and that the mayor needed to eat whatever was inside it before the day of Ascension.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy and her team came up with a plan to get the box before the mayor had the chance to eat the contents. However, this plan went wrong and Willow was caught. Faith saw her and if it had only been Faith, she would have let it slide at the risk of Willow telling everybody, but Faith wasn't alone. The mayor had this vampire he was trying to set her up with since Angel was a one slayer vampire. This vampire had been following her around like a lost puppy, and he was with her when they both saw Willow looking at some books.

Buffy gave up on the plan to destroy the box in order to get Willow back safe and sound. However, the mayor just had to make a little holier than thou speech to Angel before the trade was made. *"Well, I wish you kids the best, I really do. But if you don't mind a bit of fatherly advice, I, uh, I-I just don't see much of a future for you two. I don't sense a lasting relationship, and not just because I plan to kill you. You two have a bumpy road ahead."

Buffy interrupted, "I don't think we need to talk about this."

The mayor was irritated, "God, you kids, you know. You don't like to think about the future. You don't like to make plans. Unless you want Faith to gut your friend like a sea bass, show a little respect for your elders."

Angel pointed out, "You're not my elder. I've got a lotta years on you."

"Yeah, and that's just one of the things you're going to have to deal with. You're immortal, she's not. It's not easy. I married my Edna May in oh-three and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty picture. Wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth. Wasn't our happiest time. And let's not forget the fact* you can't even go into the sun*. I mean, come on. What kind of a life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. I see skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun. She's a blossoming young girl and you want to keep her from the life she should have until it has passed her by. *You can't give her children, either. A woman like her, needs to be a mother don't you think?* My God! I think that's a little selfish." The mayor stared at Angel for a moment and then shook his head in disgust, "Make the trade."*

The trade was interrupted by Principal Snyder, but everyone got out alive and the mayor had his box and Faith reported back that the ritual was performed. There was nothing she could have done to stop it.

Willow gave some pages that she tore out of the Books of Ascension to Giles and he was still studying them when everyone went home.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy could tell that Angel was thinking about the mayor's speech while they laid in each other arms. "What the mayor said, it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it? Buffy, you need the vitamin D that the sun can give you."

"Hello! That's what vitamins are for. Besides, I can still go out in the sun with my friends. I don't have to do that with you. I like our night time picnics," Buffy smiled.

Angel nodded his head, "Ok. Point taken. But one day you will want children. And I can't…."

"Angel, if that day ever comes, we can always adopt."

Angel sighed, "Buffy, one day you will want to know what it's like to carry a child inside of you."

Buffy thought about it for a moment, "I don't think so. But, if I do, there is this medical procedure called artificial insemination. One of my mom's friends in LA had it done. She went to a sperm bank, and they well, I'm not sure how it's done, but I know that sex was not involved. She said it was a medical procedure. I only heard bits and pieces of it because I wasn't supposed to be listening. When my mom realized that I was eavesdropping, they stopped talking about it."

"We'll talk about it when you're ready."

"If I'm ever ready. Really, Angel. I'm not seeing wanting to get pregnant and not be able to see my feet."

Angel decided to change the subject, "So, where are we moving to?"

"What?"

"What school have you decided on?"

"UC Sunnydale."

"Buffy, you don't have to go there, we can afford for you to go anywhere you like. After this thing with the Mayor is over, Faith can take over the slaying."

"I know, but my place is here. Besides, Willow has decided to go to UC Sunnydale as well. I'm happy with my choice."

"As long as you're happy."

"I would be happier if Willow could move into one the spare bedrooms so that she doesn't have to live in the dorms. It's really too far for her to go to her parents' house every night."

Angel smiled, "Whatever makes you happy."

"Is that a yes?"

"_NO!"_ Angelus thought.

"Yes," Angel said at the same time.

"Why not, Angelus?" Buffy asked.

"_Because I want our privacy. At least Faith is on the top floor."_

"We will have our privacy. Willow will have her own room and we will have ours."

Angelus looked into his mate's eyes and knew that he couldn't deny her anything that would truly make her happy. _"Fine. I'll hire a contractor to come in and fix up the rest of the rooms on this floor."_

"Thank you," Buffy said as she kissed him. It wasn't long before she was showing him her appreciation.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy and Angel were following a daemon in a sewer tunnel, "Do you have a tux? I don't remember seeing one in your closet."

"Buffy, what are you talking about?"

"The Prom. You know, I told you about it a few days ago."

"Oh right. Well right now do you think you can concentrate on what we're doing and trying to find out about the Ascension?"

"You're acting just like Giles. I just want a little break!"

A vampire came up behind Buffy and growled at her. "Not now, you idiot!" she said as she staked him without even looking at him. He looked at the stake in his heart and then back up at the couple in shock as he turned to dust. "Every time I say the word 'Prom' you get cranky! What's going on?"

Angel was silent.

"Is this about what the mayor said?"

"Buffy, we'll have this conversation when we get home."

"No. If you have something to say, say it now."

Angel sighed, "Buffy, I haven't said anything before now, because I thought I could take care of it from here, but I can't. One of our hotels in New York caught fire. They need me there to sign some paperwork for the insurance. I tried to get them to fax the papers to me, but they said that I have to sign them in person. I'm sorry. I won't be able to take you to your Prom. I think you should go anyway. Go with Willow and Xander and have fun."

Buffy looked devastated, "You're not going to take me?"

"Buffy, you know I would if I could, but I have to go."

Buffy took a deep breath, "You're right. I'm being selfish. Was anyone hurt in the fire?"

"The general manager died when he went back in to get a child. He was able to get the child out, but his clothes caught fire and he didn't make. They called me this afternoon to tell me that he passed away."

"Oh Gosh, Angel. And here I am worried about some dance. You go and take care of whatever it is that you need to take care of. Buy some flowers for the manager's family; help them out financially too. Do whatever you can to take care of them. I know nothing will bring him back, but maybe it will help a little if they don't have to worry."

"Ok. I will."

"When do you have to leave?"

"I haven't made the travel arrangements yet. I'm still trying to get out of going."

"No, you're needed there."

"But I'm also needed here."

"Angel it's just a dance."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Buffy."

"The Ascension? We can do without you for a few days while you take care of business."

"Buffy, that's not it either. I already talked to Giles and he knows that I might have to leave."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Buffy, we haven't spent the night apart since the Bonding Ceremony."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Angel, I'll be fine. I'm eighteen and my mom was leaving for overnight business trips all the time."

Angel sighed. He wasn't sure how to explain this. He hoped she would understand, "Bonded Mates have a hard time being separated."

"Oh." Buffy thought about it and then asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure and neither is Giles. All we know at this point is that where ever one Bonded Mate goes, the other one follows. I've heard that the most a Bonded couple has spent apart is twenty-four hours and it was hard on them. I was never told how it was hard though."

"We'll deal."

"Yes, we will. I will try to be back in a day or so."

"Ok."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Angel left before dawn the next day on his plane. That night was the worst night of Buffy's life. She had to ask Willow over to help her. She felt like half of her heart had been ripped out of her.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

The next day, Xander and Cordy brought in a security tape for everyone to view. They saw a hellhound attack a person who was trying on clothes for the prom.

Willow found out that Tucker Wells had sent an email to someone about killing everyone at the prom. Buffy tracked him down and sent everyone off to the Prom. She sent Giles to watch over them. He guessed that Angel wasn't scheduled to be back in time for the Prom. She told Giles that she would meet him at the gym after she killed the hell hounds.

It was close. The hellhounds had already been set loose and had arrived at the school. Buffy killed them all before they got inside the gym. She then changed into her prom dress and went inside.

Her friends never knew how close it had been. They told her how perfect everything had been so far.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Xander was disappointed when he didn't get class clown. Buffy thought that was the last award that was to be given out, but then Jonathan got on the stage and made a speech, *"We have one more award to give out. Is Buffy Summers* MacKenzie *here tonight? Did she, um..." he found where she was standing by the punch bowl. Jonathan ignored her nervousness guessing that she wasn't sure about the attention, "This is actually a new category. First time ever. I guess there were a lot of write-in ballots, and, um, the prom committee asked me to read this. 'We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here.'"

Some people in the crowd shouted out, "Zombies! Hyena people! Snyder!" People laughed at the last comment.

Jonathan continued with his written speech, "'But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history.'" The crowd applauded when Jonathan paused. "And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class, offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this.'" He produced a multicolored, glittering, miniature umbrella with a small metal plaque attached to the shaft. "It's from all of us, and it has written here, 'Buffy Summers* MacKenzie*, Class Protector.'" The crowd applauded and cheered as Buffy walked to the stage and took her award. *

As she accepted her award, she looked out over the crowd and saw her husband, her mate, standing beside Giles. She thanked her class and then walked off of the stage and right into the arms of the man who made her feel complete.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"I walked in right as he asked where you were."

"So, you heard?"

"I did." Angel couldn't wipe the proud smile off of his face. He gently took the umbrella out of her hands and handed it to Giles as he led her out to the dance floor.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

End Chapter


	11. Chapter 11

With Arms Wide Open Book 2 Chapter 11

This is my version of Graduation. I'm going by what I remember. I just watched the episodes and so if something sounds familiar, then you know it didn't come from my brain.

Translation: For the web site that I use for my translations, google English Irish Dictionary

Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat,Muirnín = I love you, Sweetheart. Found on my usual Irish Gaelic to English website: http(colan)

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Angel had read about a professor's murder being murdered, he had thought it sounded like a hit ordered by the mayor; a message from Faith confirmed it. She had tried to stop it, but one of the mayor's minions tagged along and had pushed the man into Faith's knife as she was holding it. She wasn't sure why the mayor wanted this man dead, but he did.

When Buffy and Angel went to the professor's apartment, to have a look around they had decided it was best to pack up the man's research into a box and take it to Giles and Wesley. As they were leaving, they started arguing in the middle of the street about a letter Buffy received a letter from an old boyfriend from when she lived in LA. In the middle of the argument, Buffy suddenly saw an arrow stick out of Angel's chest. It was dangerously close to his heart, she caught him just as he pitched forward. She looked around to try to see where the arrow came from but the only thing she saw was Faith falling from a roof nearby. She saw a vampire standing on the roof that faith had falling from, "**Traitor!" **the vampire yelled out as he left the scene. Buffy was torn, she wanted to go see Faith, but couldn't bear to leave her husband. She heard someone yell "call 911" and made the decided Faith would be ok and figured it was best that she carried Angel out of the scene so no one asked questions As soon as Angel was better, she would check up on Faith.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy took Angel to the school library where Giles was. She and Giles removed the arrow, but as soon as Angel stood up, he fell back down again. "Buffy, the arrow it had poison on it. I can feel it burning through my body. Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat,Muirnín" with that Angel passed out. Giles said he would do his best to research it.

"Buffy you should take Angel home and have him rest, sunrise is coming soon. I'll call you as soon as I find something."

Buffy agreed with Giles, "Alright. I'll take him home. I think you should check on Faith and make sure she's ok. See if you can find out what that vamp meant when he called her a traitor."

"I don't think we need to concern ourselves with that right now," Wesley said.

Buffy turned on him, "What if she was trying to get away from the Mayor; had a change of heart?"

"I seriously doubt that."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Buffy tried to get Angel up to their bedroom but he was just in too much pain, so she decided it was best to put him in a spare bedroom on the first floor. She pulled up a chair beside the bed and wiped his head with a cool cloth. He was burning up with fever. It was as if his body was slowly boiling from the inside out and he would eventually turn to dust.

Giles walked into the mansion and Buffy left Angel's side to go see what Giles had found out. "Faith is in a coma. While I was there the mayor was there as well and I heard him talking to her, he said he didn't believe the vamp that had told him that Faith had been playing him all along. Apparently this vamp found out that Faith was spying for us and had tried to kill her for it."

"Did the mayor see you?"

"No. I left before he saw me."

"Good. I wouldn't want him to pull the plug on her if he found out that she really was a spy for us."

"What about the poison?"

"Willow traced it to Killer of the Dead. It's mystical and used on vampires. We haven't found a cure yet."

Wesley walked into the mansion. He looked at Buffy with sad eyes and said, "The council can't help."

"Can't or won't."

"They won't."

"Then change their mind."

"It's not that simple. They're following old laws that have been in place for millenniums…,"

Buffy interrupted Wesley, "I'm talking about watching my lover, my husband, my Marked and Bonded Mate slowly burn to death from the inside out! I don't have a clue what you're talking about and I don't care."

Wesley stood there stunned. He had suspected that Buffy and Angel were more than just friends, but he had no idea they were married. That's when he noticed their wedding picture above the fireplace mantle. Beside the wedding picture was a framed Wedding Invitation and to the right of the invitation was another picture of Buffy and Angel, both in leather and standing in a garden. He took a deep breath and then said, "Buffy, the council's orders are…"

"Orders? Orders? I'm not going to be taking any orders from anyone anymore!"

"Buffy, you can't just turn your back on the council," Wesley tried to reason with her.

Buffy lost her temper. "They're in England. They can't see which way I have my back turned."

"Buffy, be reasonable."

"Be reasonable? Be reasonable? I **am** being reasonable. For the first time in five months, I'm being reasonable! What was unreasonable was following council orders after they drugged me without my knowledge and caused me to be raped! But no, I listened to you, because you blackmailed me into it! You said you would have Giles removed from my life if I didn't obey you! I **needed** him! I still do. You? I have no use for as long as you are associated with the council."

Wesley heard everything she said, but nothing made since after the word rape. She was raped? No wonder she never trusted him or the council. And he didn't make anything better by having Faith arrested. "Buffy, I had no idea that you had been…."

"I didn't want you to know. It just slipped out because I lost my temper. Get out. The council's not welcome here anymore."

"Giles, can you watch him? I can't sit here and do nothing. I have to try finding a cure, I can't lose him."

"Sure, Buffy."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

"Any luck in finding a cure?" Buffy asked as she walked into the room that Willow, Xander, and Oz were in.

"No, not yet. But we haven't given up," Willow said.

"Wait, I think I found something," Oz spoke up.

"Don't think – be certain," Buffy demanded.

Willow read aloud about a vampire being cured and the effects of the poison being fully reversed, then stopped.

"What's the cure? The suspense is killing Angel," Xander said.

"The vampire drained a slayer."

There was a pause before Buffy said, "Great. If that's what he needs, then that what he will get."

"Buffy, it will kill Faith."

"Faith is in a coma, Will. I'm not talking about Faith."

"But, Buffy, it will kill you."

"Willow, I appreciate your concern, I do. But, think about it, if it was Oz, would you do it?"

Without thinking, she answered, "Yes."

Buffy nodded, "So you understand what I must do."

As she turned to leave the room, Xander followed her, "Hey, Buffy, wait up. I know you trust Angel, but this isn't just a sip like you guys had at the Bonding Ceremony. I don't want to loose you."

"You won't."

"We're talking about all of your blood."

"No, not all. It said the vampire drained the slayer, but that doesn't mean its necessary and even if we were talking about all of it; I would die for him, just like I would die for you, Willow, Oz, Giles, even Cordelia and Wesley. But Angel is my husband and I know you don't know what it was like for me when he was gone a couple of weeks ago but being separated from my Bounded Mate is like dying myself and I can't live without him. So, Xander, either I cure him and we both possibly live, I cure him and only he lives, or I don't cure him and we both die. Which is it?"

"Well, when you put that way, at least let us be there to help pull him off of you. He may not be able to stop."

"Xander, I need to be alone with him. I might have to force him."

"How can you force him?"

"I'm going to try hitting him first, but if that doesn't do it, I might have to," she blushed as she continued, "get a little intimate."

"Oh. He thinks about that while…."

Buffy rolled her eyes and went home.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

When she got home, she asked Giles how Angel was, "He's delirious. He thought I was you a few times."

"Can I be alone with him?"

"Sure, just call me if you need anything," Giles said as he left.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

"Angel, sit up. We found a cure."

Angel sat up in the bed as best as he could. She pulled the shoulder of her shirt over to expose her Mark to him, "I need you to drink." She took his hand and he saw in her thoughts, the conversation that she just had with her friends.

"No, it's too dangerous."

"It's the only way."

"I might not be able to stop!"

"Angel, I don't care! You need to get better! You have to drink."

"It's too dangerous. "

"What do you mean? You drink from me every night when we make love! You can drink from me now. If you want to drink from me while making love, fine, but I thought you were too sick for that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Buffy. I'm too sick. I won't be able to stop. I'll kill you."

"Our Bond won't let you."

Angel just stared at her. Buffy had to hit him three times before he looked like the vampire that he was. When this happened, Buffy pulled his head down to her Mark. Angel licked the Mark and then bit down. They fell down to the floor. When Buffy lost consciousness, Angel licked the Mark again and laid there on top of her until he realized that she was barely breathing and her blood flowed sluggishly through her veins. He picked her up and rushed her to the ER.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Angel called Giles from the ER phone. Giles and Buffy's friends made it to the hospital within half an hour. "Where's Joyce?" Angel asked.

"I convinced her to leave town until after graduation," Giles said. "How is she?"

"She's going to be fine. She's sleeping. I had to pull the mayor off of her though. He tried to smother her; he said he blames Buffy for Faith's 'accident' as he put it."

"You better go home, Angel."

"No. I'm staying here. If she wakes before sunset, then we will take the tunnels. I only came out here to give an update. She hates hospitals. I'm staying with her." He turned and walked to Buffy's bedside and sat in a chair that had been placed there for him.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

_**Buffy and Faith walked into a room together. ***__**Faith said, "Miles to go - Little Ms. Muffet counting down from 7-3-0."  
**_

_**Buffy grimaced, "Great. - riddles."  
**_

_**Faith stood in front of a broken window looking out, "Sorry, it's my head. A lot of new stuff."  
**_

_**Buffy looked at her with a half-smile. A cat on the bed turned for a split second into the image of Faith laying on the bed in white gown at the same time as Faith was looking out a broken window asked, "They are never going to fix this, are they?" **_

_**Buffy concerned, "What about you?" **_

_**Faith turned around and gestured at her head, "Scar tissue. It fades. It all fades." Buffy looked down with a frown. For a split second Faith's bloody knife appeared in the palm of her hand. Buffy looked back up as Faith continued, "You want to know the deal? Human weakness - never goes away. Not even his." **_

_**Buffy asked with a half-smile, "Is this your mind or mine?" **_

_**Faith answered with a short laugh, "Beats me." **_

_**Buffy gave a little laugh in return and looked down. **_

_**Faith walked toward her. "Getting towards that time."  
**_

_**Buffy looked at all the boxes and the weapons laid out on the table beside her. "How are you going to fit all this stuff?" **_

_**"Not gonna. It's yours."  
**_

_**"I can't use all of this!"  
**_

_**"Just take what you need." She reached her right hand up to touch Buffy's cheek. "You're ready?" **_

Buffy woke up in the hospital bed.* She noticed Angel had fallen asleep holding her hand, she gave his a squeeze and kissed him on the cheek. *She got out of bed and slowly walked over to where Faith's bed was. She looked down at her then softly kissed her forehead.*

Hand in hand, Buffy and Angel walked into the waiting room and Buffy finally spoke up since going into the hospital, "Let's get ready for war."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*

* * *

Everyone gathered in the library and they began to plan for graduation, everyone got their assignments. Even Wesley arrived for an assignment informing everyone that he quit the council. While Buffy and Angel were sharpening stakes, Angel spoke up, "I'm not going to drink from you again."

"What? Angel…."

"No. I almost killed you."

"Angel. You were sick. You don't take nearly that much when we make love. Please, Angel, don't take that away from us. When you're not sick, you can hear me and stop when I tell you to stop. I'll let you know through our Bond if I start to feel light headed."

Angel looked at his wife and said, "If it gets to that point, to where you feel light headed, I won't ever do it again. You have to swear to me on our Bond that you will tell me at the first sign of feeling light headed."

"I swear it on our Bond."

Angel nodded his head.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&

* * *

At the graduation ceremony, everything was going as planned until the eclipse happened a few minutes early, then things sped up. The mayor ascended into a pure daemon that looked like a giant snake. After he ate Principal Snyder, Buffy got his attention by waving a knife around, "Hey, remember this? It's Faith's. She gave it to me. Yeah. We knew everything she knew. She was really working with us. She was on our side. What do you think about that, Dick?" Buffy took off running when he started to come after her. She led him to the library and then jumped out of the window and ran over to where Giles was. As soon as she got to his side, Giles blew up the library.

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&

* * *

As the rescue workers were trying to get the injured taken care of, Giles came up to Buffy with two pieces of rolled up paper. "I found these in the wreckage." One was Buffy's diploma and the other one was Faith's GED. She had passed. Only Giles and Angel knew. Angel had made friends with the staff and some of the teachers had heard that Angel was homeschooling his younger sister, they talked Snyder into handing it to Faith at graduation as a special favor. However, Faith was still in a coma. Buffy and Angel would make sure to keep it for her until she woke up.

Angel walked up behind his wife and put his arms around her waist. Buffy's friends came over to her. They were in awe that they had survived high school and the battle. Buffy congratulated everyone on a job well done, "Wake me when it was time for collage to start."

~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&*~#&

* * *

Angel hired a contractor to come in and remodel the mansion. He knew if Willow was moving in, then that meant that Oz would probably move in as well. Then, it would be Xander and whatever girlfriend he had. If Buffy's friends were going to be living with them, then he would make sure that they had spacious rooms of their own so that they wouldn't be in his and Buffy's room. He was also going to set up a few guest rooms downstairs for Hank and Giles and maybe even Joyce. Of course Joyce would probably just stay with Giles. He didn't expect Giles to move in, but he knew that there would be all night research parties when Giles would need a room to sleep in. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this, but it would make his Bonded Mate happy and he couldn't deny her.

* * *

_**End Book 2**_

* * *

_**A/N: First, yes I know I changed it and Faith and Buffy didn't fight in Faith's apartment/townhouse therefore the broken window didn't happen. However, in this universe, the broken window represents Faith and Buffy's "broken" minds at this point in time. Their minds are healing through a coma. Buffy's comes out of her coma and Faith is left in a coma at the end of Book 2. But still... that's what I was thinking at the time I wrote this.**_

_**I know I said a few chapters back that Season 4 & 5 were already typed and just needed to be beta'd. Well, I was wrong. Only Season 4. However, after looking at it again, it's horrible. It needs a lot of work before I can even send it to the betas. I wrote Season 4 & 5 *before* I wrote Seasons 2 and 3. A lot of things have changed since then in my writing style. And in the way that I write Angel. So I have to go back and add in Angelus and fix a lot of grammar and continuity mistakes.**_

_**Please be patient. I will try to have it to the betas by August 2013, but I can't promise anything right now. Things are busy here at my house right now. I think I have two betas for Book 4, but if you want to join the beta team, I can take two more. This time, I want the whole thing beta'd instead of chapter by chapter.**_


End file.
